The orthopaedic treatment has been offered to patients in Thailand for a long time since the modern medicine was introduced by foreign doctors who came to Thailand in a group of missionaries. Later when Pathayakorn School, the first medical school of Thailand (was later changed to Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital) was set up in 1890, orthopaedics became one part of teaching in surgery. The first training on orthopaedic was conducted in 1948. At that time, those who got the training were house and senior house officer but later were changed to resident.
Among back on October 11, 1966 a group of orthopaedic surgeons From some hospitals and institutions supported by prominent emeritus orthopaedic surgeons : Professor Feung Satsa-nguan, Dr.Prasert Nuttakul, Dr.Lek Na Nakorn, Dr.Kong Suwannarat, Dr.Samak Pookanasen and Dr.Thamrongrat Keokarn conferred at an information round-table meeting in Bangkok Metro-Central Hospital about the idea of setting up a society for Thai Orthopaedic surgeons. The decision was unanimous to call for the 1st official scientific and business meeting which was held soon on October 28, 1966. There were 35 participants from many hospitals. The Thai Orthopaedic Society was named and started. Professor Fuang Satya snguan was the first President of the Society. Since then, the Scientific Meeting has continued every 3-4 months, on rotation basis at various hospitals in Bangkok and in many provinces and now come into full-scale of The Annual Meeting.The number of registered members has increased from 35 at the beginning to more members. In 1976, 10 years after, the Society status was upgraded as the Thai Orthopaedic Association. Its roles focus on the promotion on high standard of academic and research outputs. Many activities are conducted by the Association to support continuing research and dissemination of knowledge including training course for residents, annual intraining examination and publication of the journal.
The Royal College of Orthopaedic Surgeon of Thailand was granted in 1996 under the royal patronage of His Majesty the King and has worked side by side with the Thai Orthopaedic Association in training orthopaedic surgeons to contribute benefit for the society.
With continuing development, the Royal College of Orthopaedic Surgeon of Thailand has confidence to keep on its good work to seek new knowledge and modern technology for the society based on the speech of His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol of Songkhla, the father of modern medicine of Thailand;
“True success exists not in learning, but in its application to the benefit of mankind.”