BANGKOK, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The international military exercise, codenamed Cobra Gold 2018, began on Tuesday in eastern Thailand.

Thailand's Supreme Commander Gen. Tharnchaiyan Srisuwan and U.S. Ambassador Glyn Davies presided over the opening ceremony for Cobra Gold 2018 at U-tapao naval air base in Rayong province, about 175 km southeast of Bangkok.

Diplomats based in Bangkok attended the ceremony for the 37th Cobra Gold military exercise, scheduled to last until Feb. 23.

A total of 11,075 Thai, U.S., Malaysian, Singaporean, Indonesian, Japanese and South Korean soldiers are joining in the joint military drill which is taking place in Sattahip naval base in Chonburi as well as restricted areas in Chachoengsao and Chanthaburi, besides U-tapao naval air base.

The annual exercise includes the Command Post Exercise, the Field Training Exercise and the Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief Exercise.

Anti-terrorism and mine-sweeping missions are included in the 10-day military exercise.

Military personnel from a dozen other countries are observing the international military exercise, first held in 1982 and viewed as the biggest of its kind in the Asia-Pacific.