TANAH JAMBU, FRIDAY, 26 JUNE 2026 – The Defence Academy Royal Brunei Armed Forces (DA RBAF) had the honour of hosting an official visit by His Excellency General Ukris Boontanondha, Chief of Defence Force, Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTAF), together with his delegation. The visit formed part of his official programme in Brunei Darussalam and reflected the longstanding defence relations and professional cooperation between the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) and the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
Upon arrival at the Ceremonial Hall, His Excellency and his delegation were welcomed by Yang Mulia Colonel (U) Azmie Iskandar bin Ariffin, Commandant of DA RBAF. The programme commenced with welcoming remarks by the Commandant, followed by a comprehensive briefing on the Defence Academy delivered by Yang Mulia Lieutenant Colonel Haji Mohammad Ghazali bin Haji Hussin, Chief Instructor. The briefing highlighted the Academy's organisational structure, its Professional Military Education (PME) framework, and its commitment towards developing competent, adaptive and future-ready military leaders. The delegation also received a briefing on the Academy's camp facilities before the exchange of mementoes as a symbol of friendship and mutual appreciation.
During the discussions, His Excellency expressed particular interest in the Officer Cadet School (OCS), where exchanges focused on the Academy's tri-service officer cadet training model comprising Generic Term, Special-To-Service Term and Final Term. Both sides also compared the officer cadet training systems of Brunei Darussalam and Thailand, including differences in entry pathways and the training of female officer cadets. His Excellency shared that Thailand currently adopts a separate training pathway for female officers and expressed interest in exploring opportunities to send a Thai female officer cadet to the OCS DA RBAF in the future to gain valuable training experience.
The engagement further explored the Leadership and Management Centre's leadership development programmes, including the application of Bloom's Taxonomy in junior officer training, as well as the Academy's collaboration with Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD). Discussions also covered the Bachelor of Defence and Security Studies (BDSS), its lifelong learning concept, and ongoing initiatives to strengthen academic accreditation for Professional Military Education. In addition, both sides exchanged views on the Command and Staff College (CSC), including the Master of Defence and Security Studies (MDSS) undertaken by course participants, career development pathways within the RBAF, and the participation of the current Thai officer attending the 16th RBAF Command and Staff Course.
The programme concluded with an interaction session involving the Thai participant currently attending the 16th RBAF Command and Staff Course together with a Thai Officer Cadet undergoing training at the Officer Cadet School, followed by refreshments at the Ceremonial Hall, the signing of the Academy's parchment and a group photograph. The visit reaffirmed the strong and longstanding friendship between the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and the Royal Thai Armed Forces while further strengthening cooperation in Professional Military Education, academic collaboration and the development of future military leaders.
