THAI BORDER SERVICE MEDAL

The medal was established by the Royal Thai Government on September 22, 1955 with the approval of His Majesty the King. It was created to recognize the sacrifices made by individuals who protect the nation's border, especially in remote areas, and is awarded after six months border service. Border duty was often very dangerous and offered little of the comforts normally found in garrison. The border in remote areas was frequently ill-defined, and there was a constant problem of border violations by Laotian and Malaysian communists and insurgents, the Khmer Rouge, smugglers, and in later years even Vietnamese troops.