After many months delay, Thai troops finally received the go ahead to start reconstruction work in Iraq, with the first of batch of Thai troops in the Bt750 million humanitarian aid program to travel to Iraq on 28 August 2003.
Lt. Gen. Phissanu Urailert, head of the Supreme Command's civilian affairs unit in Thailand, said that on 5 August 2003 the Cabinet of Thailand had given the green light for 443 soldiers from the special Thai-Iraq humanitarian aid unit to travel to the Middle East and participate in the reconstruction of Iraq.
The Thai soldiers will spend 12 months in Iraq, divided into two batches, each of which will stay for a 6-month period in Iraq. The soldiers involved will be drawn from a number of units, including the Thai army engineers, the Thai army medical corps, and the Thai civilian affairs division.
Lt. Gen. Phissanu further said that an advance unit would travel to Iraq on 28 August, weapons and military equipment would follow the next day. The remaining troops from the first batch would travel from Thailand to Iraq on 16 September 2003.
The U.S. which prevaricated for several months before the details of Thailand's offer to help in the rebuilding of Iraq could be worked out, is assisting Thailand in the transportation of both it's troops and military equipment. The United States It is also providing vehicles in Iraq along with fuel, accommodation, armored jackets and masks to protect Thailand's soldiers against chemical weapons.
The Thai military forces will be stationed in the city of Karbala in southern Iraq, under the command of Polish forces. The Thai troops will give general support to international forces, engaging in the construction work of buildings and roads, and in the establishment of new for public facilities damaged by the war.
It could be possible, Lt. Gen. Phissanu said, that Thailand would accede to the US request to send more troops to Iraq. Thailand was currently liaising with the US on this issue, he said.
