WAR VETERANS ORGANIZATION ACT,
B.E. 2510 (1967)
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BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ, REX.
Given on the 26thday of December, B.E.2510;
Being the 22ndyear of the Present Reign.

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is graciously pleased to proclaim that:
Whereas it is expedient to revise the law on War Veterans Organization,
Be it, therefore, enacted by the King, by and with the advice and consent of the Constituent Assembly acting as National Assembly, as follows:

Section 1. This Act is called the “War Veterans Organization Act, B.E. 2510”
Section 2. This Act shall come into force as from the day following the date of its publication in the Government Gazette.
Section 3. The following shall be repealed:
     (1) The War Veterans Organization Act, B.E. 2491 (1948);
     (2) The War Veterans Organization Act (No.2), B.E. 2495 (1952);
     (3) The War Veterans Organization Act (No.3), B.E. 2499 (1956).
All other laws, rules and regulations in so far as they are already provided by this Act, or are contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act shall be repealed.
Section 4. In this Act:
“Veteran” means
     (1) a soldier or a person holding a post in the military service or any person engaged in a military function as specified by the Ministry of Defence in a war or fighting outside the Kingdom or in suppression of a riot;
     (2) a soldier or a person preventing or suppressing any acts within or outside the Kingdom, which endanger the security or safety of the Kingdom as prescribed by the Ministry of Defence or by the Office of the Prime Minister;
“In service veteran” means a veteran who is in military service or a permanent official who works in a Ministry, Sub-Ministry or Department except a political official, extraordinary official or employee;
“Ex-service veteran” means a veteran who is not an in service veteran;
“Veterans family” means the parents, husband or wife and the child or children of a veteran.
“Ex-service soldier” means a first category reserve or a person who passed first category of military service including ex-service commissioned and non-commissioned officers who are entitled to a soldier’s pension, gratuity or pension under the law on Officials’ Gratuity and Pension, irrespective of whether they are veterans or not;
“Councillor” means a councillor of the War Veterans Council;
“Director” means the Director of the War Veterans Organization;
“Deputy-Director” means the Deputy-Director of the War Veterans Organization;
“Officer” means a person who holds a post in the War Veterans Organization and receives salary from the budget in the category of salaries for the War Veterans Organization;
“Minister” means the Minister taking charge and control of the execution of this Act.
Section 5. The Minister of Defence shall have charge and control of the execution of this Act.

Chapter 1
Establishment and General Provisions

Section 6. There shall be established an organization called the “War Veterans Organization” to be called in brief “WVO”. It will be a government and charitable organization but will not be a state enterprise under the law on Budgetary Procedure. Its object is to give assistance to:
     (1) veterans;
     (2) families of the veterans; and
     (3) ex-service soldiers.
Section 7. The War Veterans Organization shall be a juristic person.
Section 8. The WVO. shall have its Head Office in Changwat PhraNakorn and may establish its branch offices or agencies at other places. If a branch office or an agency is to be established in a foreign country, permission must first be obtained from the Minister.
Section 9. The WVO. shall have the following incomes:
     (1) subsidy from the Subsidy Fund of the Ministry of Defence;
     (2) money allocated from time to time by the Government;
     (3) monetary benefits and fees of the WVO.;
     (4) other money and properties donated to the WVO.
Section 10. In order to carry out the object in Section 6, powers and duties of the WVO. shall include:
     (1) to have various real rights, hold ownership, possess, build, purchase, hire, let, hire-purchase, borrow, lend, provide, procure, dispose of, exchange, transfer and take transfer of any land or properties by any means whatsoever;
     (2) to operate, co-operate or take part with other persons in any works whetherthey be commercial businesses or not;
     (3) to loan out money with surety or security.
Section 11. The giving of assistance to the veterans or ex-service soldiers and the suspension of the same shall be in accordance with the rules and manners prescribed in the Regulations of the War Veterans Council.
Section 12. All activities, properties, rights, obligations and liabilities as well as officers, employees and funds from the budgetary appropriation belonging to the War Veterans Organization under the War Veterans Organization Act, B.E. 2491 (1948) shall be transferred to the WVO.
In the case where the Foundation for The Thai Expeditionary Forces to Korea and Their Families is to be dissolved by the Council of Ministers according to its constitutive act, all activities, properties, rights, obligations and liabilities as well as officers, employees and funds from budgetary appropriation belonging to the Foundation shall be transferred to the WVO.
Section 13. Persons who receive assistance from the War Veterans Organization before the coming into force of this Act shall further receive assistance under this Act.

Chapter 2
Supervision and Administration
Part 1
Supervision

Section 14. The War Veterans Council shall be set up, consisting of
     (1) the Minister of Defence as the President;
     (2) the Deputy Minister of Defence as the first Vice-President;
     (3) the Permanent Secretary for Defenceas the second Vice-President;
     (4) the Director as the third Vice-President;
     (5) the Deputy-Director as councillor ex-officio;
     (6) other councillors appointed by the Minister with the approval of the Defence Council, six from in service veterans and nine from ex-service veterans.
In the case of more than one Deputy Minister of Defence, the Minister shall appoint one of the Deputy Ministers of Defence as the first Vice-President.
In the case of none of the Deputy Minister of Defense under (2), it shall be appointed the Permanent Secretary for Defence as the first Vice-President and the Director as the second Vice-President
The Secretary of the WVO. is ex-officio Secretary-General of the War Veterans Council.
Section 15. The appointed councillors hold the office for a term of two years.
At the initial term of office, three councillors who are in service veterans and four councillors who are ex-service veterans shall at the end of the first year retire by drawing lots. This retirement is to be regarded as retirement at the expiration of the term of office.
If there be any vacancy on account of other reasons except the expiration of the term of office, the person belonging to the same category is to be appointed as councillor for the remainder of his predecessor’s term of office.
Section 16. The councillors who retire at the expiration of the term of office shall have the power to perform their duties until the new councillors assume the office.
The councillors who retire at the expiration of the term of office may be re-appointed but not more than one consecutive term.
Section 17. A councillor retires prior to the expiration of the term of office upon:
     (1) resignation;
     (2) being removed by the Minister with the approval of the Defence Council;
     (3) not being an in service or ex-service veteran of the category to which he belonged at the time of appointment.
Section 18. The War Veterans Council shall have the powers and duties to lay down policies and supervise generally the affairs of the WVO. lt shall also have the powers:
     (1) to lay down Regulations under Section 11;
     (2) to lay down regulations concerning the administration and carrying on of the activities;
     (3) to lay down regulations concerning finance, properties and accounts as well as the checking and auditing of the accounts;
     (4) to lay down regulations in respect of gratuity and accumulating fund of officers;
     (5) to lay down regulations in respect of Assistance Fund, Counterpart Money for the Assistance Fund or other forms of assistance for the wellbeing of the persons performing their duties and their families; provided such regulations shall be effective upon the approval of the Council of Ministers;
     (6) to scrutinize and approve the expenditure;
     (7) to appoint sub-committees for carrying out any work to be entrusted.
The Regulations of the War Veterans Council shall become effective upon their publication in the Government Gazette.
Section 19. The War Veterans Council shall hold its ordinary meeting at least once every three months.
The extraordinary meeting of the War Veterans Council may be convened when the President of the Council deems it expedient or upon the request of more than three councillors.
The War Veterans Council may invite any person to give statement of facts, explanation, recommendation or opinion.
Section 20. At every meeting, there must be at least nine councillors; three from each category of appointed councillors, in order to constitute a quorum.
Section 21. The meeting shall be presided by the President of the War Veterans Council. If the President is absent from the meeting or is unable to perform his duties, it shall be presided by the first Vice-President of the War Veterans Council. If the first Vice-President is absent or is unable to perform his duties, it shall be presided by the second Vice-President of the War Veterans Council. If the second Vice-President is absent from the meeting or is unable to perform his duties, it shall be presided by the third Vice-President of the War Veterans Council. If the third Vice-President is also absent from the meeting or is unable to perform his duties, the meeting shall select one of its councillors to preside over the meeting.
Section 22. All questions shall be decided by majority of votes. In the case of equality of votes, the presiding officer shall have an additional vote as casting vote.
Section 23. In the case where a resolution of the meeting must be referred to the Council of Ministers, it shall be forwarded by the Minister.

Part 2
Administration

Section 24. The Minister shall appoint with the approval of the Defence Council in service commissioned officers, one as the Director and the other as the Deputy-Director.
The dismissal of the Director or the Deputy-Director shall be effected by the Minister with the approval of the Defence Council.
Section 25. The Director shall administer the affairs of the WVO. in conformity with the law, regulations and policies laid down by the War Veterans Council and have the power to supervise officers of all posts and employees.
The Director is responsible for the administration and carrying out the activities of the WVO.
Section 26. In the activities dealing with outsiders, the Director shall act in the name and on behalf of the WVO. For this purpose the Director may delegate his power to any agent of the WVO. appointed under Section 8 and Section 30, or to any person to carry on any particular business on his behalf, provided that it must be in accordance with the Regulation of the War Veterans Council.
In the case where the Regulations of the War Veterans Council stipulate that any juristic act can be done by the Director only with prior consent of the War Veterans Council, such juristic act done by the Director without the said consent shall not be binding on the WVO., unless it is ratified by the War Veterans Council.
Section 27. The Director shall have the following powers:
     (1) to recruit, appoint, dismiss, promote, reduce or cut salaries as well as to impose disciplinary punishment on officers and employees in accordance with the Regulations of War Veterans Council;
     (2) to lay down rules relating to the operation of the activities of the WVO. which are not contrary to or inconsistent with the Regulations of the War Veterans Council.
Section 28. The Deputy-Director shall assist the Director in all activities which are within the scope of the duties of the Director and shall perform on behalf of the Director any activities entrusted to him or when the Director is unable to perform his duties, unless they are functions of the Vice-President of the War Veterans Council.
In the case where the Director and the Deputy-Director are unable to perform their duties, the Minister shall appoint one in service commissioned officer to act temporarily in place of the Director.
Section 28/1. The Director shall appoint one of the officers as the Secretary of the WVO. in accordance with the Regulations of the War Veterans Council.
Section 29. The Director, the Deputy-Director, the person acting on their behalf and officers under this Act shall be competent officials under the Penal Code.
Section 30. The Minister shall appoint as he thinks fit in service commissioned officer to be chief of a branch office or an agency established under Section 8.
In the case where it is expedient to appoint other person no being in service commissioned officer to hold the post as mentioned in paragraph one, the Director shall have the power to make such appointment.
The chief of the branch office or agency shall be the agent of the WVO. in accordance with the Regulations of the War Veterans Council.

Chapter 3
Insignia, Medals and Badges

Section 31. The insignia of the WVO. shall bear description as appears in the figure at the end of this Act.
Section 32. The WVO. may provide decorative medals and badges of the Organization for the persons who have connection with or have given benefits to the administration of the WVO. Types and classes of the medals and badges and details for decoration thereof shall be in accordance with the Regulations of the War Veterans Council.

Chapter 4
Penalties

Section 33. Whoever, not on business of the WVO., or without a written permission of the WVO., uses the name or words in whatever context which is likely to misrepresent the public that it is the business of the WVO. or has connection with the business of the WVO., is liable to imprisonment not exceeding one year or fine not exceeding two thousand baht, or both.
Any juristic person, not being a Ministry, Sub-Ministry or Government Department, or not having received a written permission of the WVO., uses the initials WVO.” or “War Veterans”, “Veterans”, “ex-service” or “Soldier” as its name or as a part of its name, if the commission of the offence by such juristic person is attributable to the giving of directions or omission from giving directions or an act or omission from carrying out an act required of a councillor, manager or any person responsible for the operation of such juristic person, then such person is deemed to have committed the offence as prescribed in paragraph one.
Section 34. Whoever uses the insignia of the WVO. without authority or makes the same without authorization from the WVO., forges or imitates the insignia or the impression of the insignia of the WVO. or uses the forged or imitated insignia is liable to imprisonment not exceeding one year or fine not exceeding two thousand baht, or both.
Section 35. Whoever uses a medal or badge which is the insignia of the WVO. without authority under Section 32 or makes the same without authorization from the WVO. or makes or uses a forged or imitated article or the one similar to such medal or badge is liable to imprisonment not exceeding six months or fine not exceeding one thousand baht, or both.

Countersigned by:
Major-General Krommun Naradhip Bongspraphandh
Deputy Prime Minister