List of Commanders of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters

Chief of the Defence Forces ผู้บัญชาการทหารสูงสุด
Standard of the supreme commander
Incumbent General Surapong Suwan-ath since 1 October 2016
Nominator	Minister of Defense
Appointer	HM the King
Inaugural holder	Plaek Phibunsongkhram
Formation	13 November 1940
Website	Commands HQ commanders

The Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters or the Chief of the Defence Forces (Thai: ผู้บัญชาการกองทัพไทย) is the overall field commander of Royal Thai Armed Forces. He is also in charge of managing the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters. Prior to 1960 the post was an ad hoc creation by Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, during the World War II. However under Field Marshal Sarit Dhanarajata the position became permanent, and in its early life was even combined with the post of Prime Minister of Thailand. In February 2008 the name of the post was changed from Supreme Commander of the Supreme Command HQ (ผู้บัญชาการทหารสูงสุด) to the Commander of the RTAFHQ or Chief of the Defence Forces (ผู้บัญชาการทหารสูงสุดประจำกองบัญชาการกองทัพไทย). The current commander is General Surapong Suwan-ath since 2016.