The Philippine Army (PA) and the Royal Thai Army (RTA) jointly hosted the recent seventh edition of their 3-day Steering Group Meeting in Manila, designed to finalize their 2023 bilateral activities. The meeting started last July 5.
PA spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said “Delegates from both Armies tackled bilateral engagement plans for 2023, with Acting Chief of Staff Philippine Army and concurrent Army Inspector General Maj. Gen. Roy M. Galido and Director-General for Operations Maj. Gen. Thongchai Rodyoi spearheading the discussions.”
Trinidad said the “PA-RTA Steering Group Meeting is held yearly and hosted alternately by both Armies and serves as a venue for the development of annual and medium-term PA-RTA activities mutually beneficial for both armies.” The PA-RTA Steering Group terms of reference (TOR) was signed by representatives of both armies in 2015.
He said the PA has an existing medium-term engagement plan with RTA, covering areas of cooperation such as intelligence, cyber-warfare, civil-military operations, armor, infantry, and counter-swarm.
Trinidad shared that PA chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. and RTA military Attaché to Jakarta, Senior Col. Kittisak Petchnoi discussed the strengthening of bilateral military education and training and updating the TOR between the two services at the sidelines of the 2022 Asian Defense and Security Conference and Exhibit in Pasay City last April.