Task Force 90 (Thai: ฉก.90), officially the Special Operations Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Regiment (Thai: กองพันปฏิบัติการพิเศษ กรมรบพิเศษที่ 3), is a special forces unit of the Royal Thai Army (RTA). It is currently part of the 3rd Special Forces Regiment, King's Guard (Airborne), under the Royal Thai Army Special Warfare Command (RTASWC). The unit has sometimes been referred to as the "Thai Delta Force."
History
Task Force 90 (TF90) was founded by the 1st Division, King's Guard in 1981. In its early stages, the first and second generations (42 men per generation) were trained by the British Special Air Service (SAS), and the third generation (40 men) was trained by the Israeli Sayeret Matkal. Personnel from these three generations subsequently used the knowledge gained to train and develop subsequent generations of operators.
The unit originated as Assault Team 81 (AT81) from 1981 to 1984, then became the Special Operations Task Unit from 1984 to 1986, followed by the Special Operations Company from 1986 to 2007, and later the Special Operations Division from 2007 onward. It was promoted to King's Guard status in 2019.
Role and Operations
TF90 specializes in counter-terrorism and hostage rescue operations. The unit regularly trains with special forces units of the Royal Thai Navy, Royal Thai Air Force, and Royal Thai Police, as well as foreign special forces—most notably U.S. Special Forces. Training focuses on crisis management and tactical operations responding to terrorist events.
The unit has been involved in numerous engagements, including the Cold War, the communist insurgencies in Thailand and Malaysia, the Thai–Laotian Border War, the war on drugs, the Southern Insurgency, the 2010 Thai political protests and military crackdown, the Tham Luang cave rescue, the Cambodia–Thailand border dispute, and the 2025 Cambodian–Thai conflict.
Recruitment, Selection, and Training
To be eligible for the TF90 selection process, candidates must first be members of the RTASWC and have successfully completed both counter-terrorism and hostage rescue courses. Applicants undergo rigorous physical and mental evaluations. Those who pass are admitted into an intensive training program that is exceptionally demanding and high-risk, with the potential for severe injuries or fatalities.
Organization
- Garrison/HQ: Fort Airavata, Khao Sam Yot, Mueang Lopburi, Lopburi Province
- Motto: "Brave, Steady, Prompt" (Thai: กล้าหาญ, เด็ดเดี่ยว, รวดเร็ว)
- Nicknames: ฉก.90 (Task Force 90), "The Demon Battalion" (กองพันปีศาจ), "Unsung Heroes"
- Anniversary: 24 July
