News from Thailand – June 18, 2014
The defense budget for 2015 is eagerly awaited. Is the military authority using its hegemony to increase the defense budget?
This happened earlier after the coup of September 2006, in which Prime Minister Thaksin was pushed aside. The budget then shot up by 33,8 percent and a year later by 24,7 percent. A senior army officer believes it unlikely to happen again this time.
Some are concerned not only about a possible increase in the budget, but also about the tendering procedure for the purchase of new weaponry. The armed forces now have a free hand in this. They can determine which weapons are bought and from whom. After the 2006 coup, the army did not buy American weapons but Israeli ones and the air force opted for the Swedish Gripen fighter instead of the American F16.
Reportedly, the military has a long shopping list that mainly includes helicopters and armored vehicles. The desired purchase of the American Black Hawk will be postponed because the US is unhappy with the military coup. Another hot topic is the purchase of submarines, which has been arguing about for years.
The three armed forces are expected to submit their wishes at the end of the month. The defense budget is expected at the end of July.
– Air Force Commander Prajin Juntong will step down tomorrow as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Thai Airways International (THAI). He wants to send a signal to board members of other government companies, who were appointed by the previous Pheu Thai government. Prajin manages the economic affairs portfolio in the NCPO.
The military authority wants to take the broom through the boards of directors of 56 government companies. Some board members have already seen the downpour and have resigned of their own accord. Others are waiting for a 'request' from the NCPO.
To highlight a few. The Executive Board chairman of Airports of Thailand already hung up his winch on June 6. Two other members will probably follow his example. Kamronwit Thoopkrachan, who has been suspended as chief of the Bangkok Municipal Police and chairman of the Board of Directors of the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT), will stay on for a while so as not to disrupt the work of the PAT. But when the NCPO wants him to resign, he puts down his gavel.
Anchalee Chavanich's chairmanship chair is also wavering. She is not only chairman of the board of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, but also president of the Thai Industrial Estate and Strategic Partner Association. She has not yet written her letter of resignation, although pressure is being put on her to pack her bags.
– Not seven infrastructure projects costing more than 1 billion baht are scrutinized by an NCPO committee (see News from Thailand of June 17), but twenty-eight. Are they transparent and do they not cost too much money? In total, this now concerns an amount of 40 billion baht. Commission President Anantaporn Kanchanarat already knows that some projects are unnecessary and need to be reviewed. The services involved have been asked to evaluate the projects; the committee expects to serve this wine at the end of the day.
Starting from the financial year 2015 (October 1), government departments must make public all their tendering and purchasing plans. The NCPO committee will regulate the reference price system [?] better.
– The minibuses on and around Victory Monument will move to a parking lot under Makassan station. With this measure, the junta wants to put an end to the chaotic traffic situation on and around the square. A trial period starts on Monday; July 1 is the end of Victory.
Yesterday, army commander Chalermpol Srisawat, in charge of traffic problems, spoke with Jumpol Khananurak, deputy chief of traffic affairs of Phayathai police station, about the problems with the minivans. They have agreed on strict measures for breaking the speed limit [say: many drivers drive like crazy], cutting other cars and dangerous overtaking maneuvers. Operators who have not yet registered their van should do so immediately.
– Men in the uniform of forest rangers who cut wood in Kaeng Krachan National Park (Phetchaburi): that is suspicious. Photos and video clips of this were passed on to the media by the wife of Karen activist Porlajee Rakchongcharoen, who had been missing for two months, through a lawyer from the Lawyers Council of Thailand. It is unclear how she obtained the material that was stored on the also missing laptop and flash drive from her husband.
The lawyer suspects that the material may be one of the reasons for Porlajee's disappearance. He says some villagers witnessed the logging.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has formed a panel to investigate. Possibly it is a storm in a teacup and it concerns trees that had fallen. Forest rangers are allowed to cut them into pieces to use as firewood. The brown DPN-printed T-shirts worn by the men in the video were provided several years ago during landslide prevention work.
It is not yet decided whether the suspended park head Chaiwat Limlikhitaksorn will return. He may have been involved in Porlajee's disappearance, but no progress has been made in the investigation. Chaiwat was the last to see Porlajee.
– We would almost forget, but Veera Somkhwamkid, coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network, is still imprisoned in Cambodia. He and others were apprehended by Cambodian soldiers in late December 2010. They would have been on Cambodian territory. Veera is serving an eight-year sentence.
Release, exchange for Cambodian prisoners or amnesty has already been discussed several times and now four government services are trying again. They met yesterday to explore the possibilities. Veera's wife recently asked the NCPO to take action. The option most likely to succeed is amnesty by the Cambodian monarch.
– A kitten, one week old, survived an 80-kilometer drive under the hood. The animal was discovered when the owner had stopped in Bang Pa-in to refuel (photo home page). There was a 'meow' sound and that can only mean one thing. The kitten has a name: Boonrod ie Safe and sound.
– Employers with foreign employees have been ordered by the NCPO to submit a list of their names. Furthermore, the junta warns officials involved in human trafficking; they risk disciplinary and criminal penalties. The aim of all this is to combat the exploitation of foreign workers, especially in the fish processing industry, and to provide them with proper protection.
The Policy Committee on Alien Workers has been asked to monitor the progress of the measures and to report to the NCPO.
According to Jeerasak Sukhonthachart, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Employment, the number of migrants staying in the country after their employment contract has ended is increasing. They can then stay in the country for a maximum of 180 days. It is not surprising that they stay, because they can easily find work.
– National reconciliation and reforms: a new working group to be formed will deal with this. The working group will work closely with two other working groups: the Peace and Order Maintaining Command and the State Administration Group.
The new working group also has a nice name: Committee for Reconciliation and Reform. And then there is a fourth group: Reconciliation Center for Reform. The primary task of this group is to reconcile red and yellow shirts.
If you want to know who is in charge of which group, read: New NCPO body to tackle unity, reform.
– A top man of the Marketing Organization for Farmers was arrested when he came to a hotel in Nonthaburi to collect bribes. The National Anti-Corruption Commission had called for his arrest after being tipped off. The man had demanded 1,5 million baht in bribes from a company that supplies food to a prison in Chumphon. He would receive that money in cash at the hotel. The NACC will also investigate the man's possessions.
Correction
– Tor Odland, vice president of Telenor, DTAC's largest shareholder, doesn't have to pack his bags because he blew the boat over Facebook's blackout last month. Enter the message Bangkok Post yesterday is incorrect. The newspaper reports it under the headline clarification. The cup Rectification seems more appropriate and an apology wouldn't be out of place either.
www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post
The military has it so good for Thailand. They do want a big piece of the budget pie. It would be to the credit of the army leadership if they gave up part of their defense budget for poverty reduction. You can, now that they're in charge. In that case I would make a deep bow to the military and really believe that they only want the best for Thailand.
Dear Khan Peter,
You're better off using this chart. It gives a fairer picture of defense spending.
http://knoema.com/atlas/Thailand/Military-expenditure-percent-of-GDP
1,5% of GDP is quite low internationally.
With this budget, a country must also be governed and a complete war must be waged in the south.
Additional news
The NCPO is today consulting with farmers and rice millers on short- and long-term measures now that the cursed mortgage system for rice has been scrapped.
Various options will be reviewed, such as a price measure for fertilizers and pesticides, subsidies to only the poorest farmers, capping farm size to 10 rai, forming cooperatives and reducing land rents. [Most farmers do not own land, but have to rent it.]
The Nation today calls a subsidy of 1.700 baht per rai probably because production costs are barely covered when the farmers sell their rice. The rice currently yields 5.000 to 6.000 baht per ton. The farmers ask for 3.000 baht. Then the profit margin would be 40 percent.