Soldiers are displeased with defense cutbacks by political parties
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The elections in Thailand are just around the corner and then it is time for rhetoric and election promises. A number of parties, including Pheu Thai, have included in the program they want economize on Thai Doctors. But the Future Forward Party also wants that number generals in the army of 1200 is reduced to 400.
The Ministry of defence now counterattacks by defending the defense budget by publishing spending figures from 2008 to 2019 (see graphic center).
This shows a significant increase in the budget, especially in the last four years with Prayut in power. Defense spokesman Kongcheep said during a press conference that some parties are spreading incorrect information about defense spending. He referred to the financial crisis of 1997 when the budget was reduced to 6,5 percent of state expenditure against an average of 12,7 percent between 1993 and 1998. As a result, there was not enough money for training, fuel and equipment maintenance.
Source: Bangkok Post
Since the crisis, the defense budget has increased by an average of 7 percent annually, which Kongcheep says is not extreme. The budget requests have also been approved by parliament.
Political scientist Panitan of Chulalongkorn University points out that the budget of the defense ministry is less than 1,6 percent of GDP and the aim is to reduce this to 1 percent. According to him, Thailand's defense budget is not high compared to that of other countries in Asean. Singapore's budget is even five times that of Thailand.
Deputy party leader Korn Chatikavanij (Democrats) wrote on his Facebook page yesterday that the annual increase in the defense budget is in line with GDP. Budgets of other ministries have also increased. According to Korn, defense spending has actually fallen from that perspective.
Source: Bangkok Post
Isn't that asking for a coup?
No! Because after the elections a 'Lower House' can be elected that would like it, but the Senate is fully appointed by the elite and the uniforms and that Senate blocks everything that is not considered desirable. And then we are back to square one….
What if they just start canceling those 2 Chinese submarines.
Because what should Thailand do with submarines that even run on diesel?
Pure waste of money.
Jan Beute.
Big question with this article: who's numbers are correct? In the run-up to elections, figures are being juggled all over the world. Are they correct or not? Who is going to say it and everyone will know that everyone wants to show the best of themselves and the worst of the other. That's election talk.
But reducing those generals from 1200 to 400 has something.
A quick Google search shows that the US has just over 280 and England has 85.
What would 1200 Thai generals have to do?
A debate about the social usefulness and necessity of the armed forces is largely absent.
What can and should the armed forces mean for the Thai nation? What is the vision and mission? Of
what roles, tasks and resources, can that mission be fulfilled? In which international constellation should this be done.
That is a completely different debate than the game bathjes – higher – lower that is now being shown.
The public political debate lacks the necessary depth ... and there are undoubtedly reasons for this ... good, but also very bad.
Partly because of this, the armed forces lack the necessary legitimacy for a large part of the Thai, and their social/political representatives. In this way, the armed forces remain part of the problem and not part of the solution ... unless you find frequent periodic coups d'état the solution 🙂
Everyone can decide for themselves whether singing dirty songs is the solution, including the army command 🙂
Four years of work on social reconciliation has been undermined with one dress rehearsal of a dirty song, even among brothers in arms. Weird but true, but TiT 🙂
A debate about the social usefulness and necessity of the armed forces is largely absent.
What can and should the armed forces mean for the Thai nation? What is the vision and mission? Of
what roles, tasks and resources, can that mission be fulfilled? In which international constellation should this be done.
Those are the good questions and that debate has been there in Thailand, Mark, for many years. Most Thais know that the armed forces are not there to defeat a foreign enemy but to 'solve problems' domestically. I have yet to meet a Thai who has anything good to say about the armed forces, other than my niece who married a soldier.
1200 Generals I think it has something to do with Thai class society.
So yes, I think you can save some money on that…