Junta Hits Back At Politico’s Call For Draft Abolition

[webfact]

Junta Hits Back At Politico’s Call For Draft Abolition

By Teeranai Charuvastra, Staff Reporter

 

Potential recruits conscription lottery at a drafting station on April 5 in Phang Nga province.

 

BANGKOK  — A junta spokesman on Tuesday slammed a Pheu Thai politician’s pledge to abolish national conscription if his party wins the next election.

 

Speaking to reporters, Col. Piyapong Klinpan said mandatory service is still necessary to maintain adequate manpower in the armed forces, and accused former MP Watana Muangsook of seeking political gains with his promise.

 

Full story:  http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2018/04/24/junta-hits-back-at-politicos-call-for-draft-abolition/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-04-24

[baboon]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

Speaking to reporters, Col. Piyapong Klinpan said mandatory service is still necessary to maintain adequate manpower in the armed forces, and accused former MP Watana Muangsook of seeking political gains with his promise.

Just when you think the junta have reached the depths of stupidity...

[candide]

It's seems the PTP hits where it hurts and that the Junta has forgotten to prevent it in the constitution. 

[NCC1701A]

" and accused former MP Watana Muangsook of seeking political gains with his promise"

 

incredible insight.

 

[Eric Loh]

I bet Col Piyapong has a conscript doing his lawn and another doing his laundry.

[AGareth2]

22 minutes ago, webfact said:

mandatory service is still necessary to maintain adequate manpower in the armed forces,

for what?

servants for the senior ranks?

[robblok]

Not often do I agree with the PTP but this is certainly a good idea a professional army is always a good idea. Draft is crazy you get unmotivated people it just does not work.

 

Of course the army does not like this it sees it budget shrink. 

[robblok]

21 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

" and accused former MP Watana Muangsook of seeking political gains with his promise"

 

incredible insight.

 

Of course but that is his right, I am not so sure he can deliver what he promises though. 

[baboon]

1 minute ago, robblok said:

Of course but that is his right

Let's just wait and see about that...

[robblok]

1 minute ago, baboon said:

Let's just wait and see about that...

I mean he has the right to promise this... to get votes.. I am less then sure he can ever accomplish this (draft abolition)

[baboon]

2 minutes ago, robblok said:

I mean he has the right to promise this... to get votes.. I am less then sure he can ever accomplish this (draft abolition)

I know what you meant. However read this thread in conjunction with this one 

and let's see what rights they will have in all actuality...

[robblok]

Just now, baboon said:

I know what you meant. However read this thread in conjunction with this one 

and let's see what rights they will have in all actuality...

Yes lets see what that brings, I am PRO draft abolition no matter who suggest it its a good idea. 

[humbug]

well done ptp great shot, if they win i am sure they will push this as a large majority of the country would want this. I am also pretty sure they know it might not become law before the next coup. But if your hands are tied you might as well keep trying

[runamok27]

Does anyone know if there is enough volunteers to go to a pure volunteer military? 

[GarryP]

Adequate manpower!!!! Not as if Thailand has invaders knocking on the borders.  And the last time there was any border trouble, which lasted all of 3 months in 1987-1988, the generals stayed well away, while conscripts and other cannon fodder fled in panic.  It was absolutely pathetic. Thailand needs a professional army and that would mean getting rid of the vast majority of the generals and doing away with conscription. When you have armed forces run by people who have no idea what they are doing, and manned by people who have absolutely no desire or motivation to serve, you are wasting money that could be better spent elsewhere. 

[Tilacme]

Well done the photographer, i think this pic captures the inhumanity of the current public lottery draft system.

[tomta]

17 minutes ago, Tilacme said:

Well done the photographer, i think this pic captures the inhumanity of the current public lottery draft system.

Yes it does. A laughing matter for the two soldiers but not for the would be conscript.

 

It also captures how easy it would be to manipulate in the interests of those who cough up a large donation. Just take a few names out of the hat before hand. I hope Wattana's proposal catches fire. The end of conscription could be the end of coups.

[robblok]

24 minutes ago, runamok27 said:

Does anyone know if there is enough volunteers to go to a pure volunteer military? 

Not sure, but if there is a volunteer army it will be smaller so you can raise salaries of the people serving. That might attract people.

[Cadbury]

Conscription in Thailand comes in a number of forms including subconscious conscription. 

There is Children's Day which has evolved into a propaganda display of military weaponry for the brainwashing of children.

There is the village equivalent of the Dad's Army where soldiers go into the villages and run 5 day training courses for the local layabouts using wooden toy guns. (I have photographic and video evidence of this but unable to show it because of the possible retribution on the persons who took the images. I believe they get paid a token amount).  

There is the young schoolchild indoctrination where they dress infants up in army uniforms and let them play war games.

And then there is the unforgiving and heartless official conscription itself.  

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

I bet Col Piyapong has a conscript doing his lawn and another doing his laundry.

 

Possibly true and it's been going on for decades.

 

A military guy in my condo always had 3 or 4 young conscripts at his huge condo, to clean the place, do the laundry, do the shopping, drive the officer to work, to entertainments, drive the wife for shopping etc., drive the teenage daughter to uni, wait for her and drive her home, etc. And every day clean the 3 family cars and a big bike. The huge condo (almost one full floor) was owned totally by the wife, given to her by a previous farang businessman. The wife owns several successful companies but is known to be very unpleasant to her company staff. There were regular reports of her smacking the faces of her husband and the conscripts. 

 

Most of the time the conscripts lived in - reality was they ate well, the family had an on staff on call cook, the conscripts had to help with food preparation (they ate the same food as the family) and they could cook whatever other food etc., they wanted as well in the family kitchen, they had their own nice bathroom, nice bedroom, open access to alcohol. 

 

This was the situation for about 5 years that I'm aware, then suddenly the wife and officer broke up (she found a more senior officer), the conscripts disappeared instantly with the initial officer.

 

 

[tomta]

There is a great Thai film called Mon Rak Transistor which looks at the decline and fall of a young man after getting conscripted. Very funny but very sad https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monrak_Transistor  Really worth a look.

[candide]

In theory, I would agree with a professional army. However, in the specific case of Thailand, I am not sure. A conscription based army at least de facto sets some minimal limits to abuses by the army, as it is composed of normal citizens. A professional army may be more likely to be even more self-serving than it is now. Imagine something like the current RTP, but armed with war weapons and not subject to any limitation by the Judiciary. Frightening, indeed.....

[bluesofa]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

"Col. Piyapong Klinpan said mandatory service is still necessary to maintain adequate manpower in the armed forces."

True.

They need to maintain adequate manpower to bully the conscripts into doing their shitty tasks for them.

 

My brother-in-law was conscripted, and after basic training for a couple of months was then ordered to look after his CO's ailing parents, both of whom had dementia.

My B-I-L spent well over a year - 24 hours a day - living with them in their house in Bangkok, looking after them as an unpaid servant.

 

As they had dementia, they constantly forgot they had eaten ten minutes before and gave him a hard time as they said he hadn't given them any food.

Every day they watched the same cartoons on TV, as they couldn't remember seeing them the previous day. A very sad situation.

 

So yes, they need adequate manpower.

 

[hansnl]

2 hours ago, baboon said:

Just when you think the junta have reached the depths of stupidity...

Just when you think the redshirts have reached the depths of stupidity.

[leeneeds]

Sell the submarine , give a complete overhaul of the current system,

Fair money, fair conditions , free public transport , free board and lodgings, 

career pathway , 

and no deaths in training, 

The image would change somewhat, for the better,

 

[hansnl]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

Not sure, but if there is a volunteer army it will be smaller so you can raise salaries of the people serving. That might attract people.

In Thailand, as in most other countries a purely volunteer army is very difficult to fill.

A conscript army isn't that bad.

An army made up wholly of professional soldiers is bad for democracy and difficult to control.

 

[baboon]

6 minutes ago, hansnl said:

Just when you think the redshirts have reached the depths of stupidity.

Err, the redshirts are related to this story how, exactly?

[hansnl]

1 minute ago, leeneeds said:

Sell the submarine , give a complete overhaul of the current system,

Fair money, fair conditions , free public transport , free board and lodgings, 

career pathway , 

and no deaths in training, 

The image would change somewhat, for the better,

 

No deaths in training?

Check your own country!!!!!!

[rkidlad]

3 minutes ago, hansnl said:

In Thailand, as in most other countries a purely volunteer army is very difficult to fill.

A conscript army isn't that bad.

An army made up wholly of professional soldiers is bad for democracy and difficult to control.

 

A conscript army isn’t that bad? Please tell us more. Who isn’t it bad for exactly? 

[smutcakes]

42 minutes ago, hansnl said:

In Thailand, as in most other countries a purely volunteer army is very difficult to fill.

A conscript army isn't that bad.

An army made up wholly of professional soldiers is bad for democracy and difficult to control.

 

Wow someones hit the bottle early. What in the world are you writing about?