Junta Hits Back At Politico’s Call For Draft Abolition

[leeneeds]

51 minutes ago, hansnl said:

No deaths in training?

Check your own country!!!!!!

My own country has deaths in training and I lost a good friend while doing such training, 

you have missed the point ,

getting beaten to death by peers does not happen my former country,

[JackScarlett]

2 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

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

Why not?  I had a Batman when I served in British Army.  Good lad.  He was very happy to miss out on all the exciting things like Church Parade and Barrack Room Inspections

 

[baboon]

10 minutes ago, JackScarlett said:

Why not?  I had a Batman when I served in British Army.  Good lad.  He was very happy to miss out on all the exciting things like Church Parade and Barrack Room Inspections

 

There of his own free will, was he?

[heybruce]

A professional military a fraction of the size of the current Thai military, with a small fraction of the current number of generals, could do a better job of defending Thailand against all realistic external threats.  I can't imagine how they could do a worse job.

 

Whether a professional military could do as good a job in supporting coups is a different matter.  I suppose it depends on the training, and if Thailand would also get proper generals.

[heybruce]

" People who received military training in high school, those with medical conditions, transgenders and priests are exempted from the draft."

 

High school graduates who have military training are exempt from the draft.  Why?

 

Pool kids from villages that have crap schools that don't offer military training, or who drop out of schools that don't teach anything worthwhile, are the ones who get drafted.  Everyone else can find a doctor who will confirm a convenient medical condition (bone spurs on the feet?) or simply bribe a commander to get their kids exempted.

[KiwiKiwi]

Why have lots of manpower? To keep the Thais in line and make themselves feel important can be the only reasons.

 

What a joke.

[KiwiKiwi]

13 minutes ago, baboon said:

There of his own free will, was he?

You had a batman,. This crew has gardeners and servants.

 

There's something badly wrong with these people.

[KiwiKiwi]

25 minutes ago, JackScarlett said:

Why not?  I had a Batman when I served in British Army.  Good lad.  He was very happy to miss out on all the exciting things like Church Parade and Barrack Room Inspections

 

 

Seems reasonable, I'm sure the British army had lots of useless gits in it. Probably still do.

[bluesofa]

25 minutes ago, JackScarlett said:

Why not?  I had a Batman when I served in British Army.  Good lad.  He was very happy to miss out on all the exciting things like Church Parade and Barrack Room Inspections

 

Was he light-fingered - did he do any robbin'?

 

[JAG]

2 hours ago, runamok27 said:

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

Well if you stopped treating the ordinary soldiers like sh*t, paid them a decent wage , and taught them a trade, then you might well get enough volunteers. You might even have one that is able to actually do its job.

 

The one they have at the moment is large, virtually untrained and virtually unusable.

 

Look at the expression on the fat monkey in the OP photograph (sorry, I meant well nourished military policeman), sums up the whole business doesn't it!

[yellowboat]

Once again the reds show they are way way ahead of everyone else.   How many parents are more afraid of the Thailand's neighbors than the Thai army.  When #2 is on record as saying he was beaten but survived.  The army will never allow this, but what a shrewd and rightly move.

[KiwiKiwi]

3 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

Once again the reds show they are way way ahead of everyone else.   How many parents are more afraid of the Thailand's neighbors than the Thai army.  When #2 is on record as saying he was beaten but survived.  The army will never allow this, but what a shrewd and rightly move.

*yawn*

 

[jonclark]

Interesting one this - sure the abolition of conscription would be a great thing for Thailand..but the real meat to this story is the removal of Army barracks from Bangkok. The Thai army effectively booted out of Bangers...that makes future coups much more difficult as moving man power would be more visible, and gives people the opportunity in terms of time to organise and resist. No wonder the army is lashing out. 

 

However I credit the good commander Piyapog with this absolute classic: "[One should not] propose unrealistic policies or merely seek votes to enter the parliament,” 

 

Of course my good man. You should never seek votes to get into parliament..that's just not how it done is it?  Guns are far more effective and efficient. 

[Eric Loh]

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

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.

 

Good example of abuse that you gave. Also extended to abuse resulting in death from sadistic senior ranks & not as a result of training (a recalcitrant here seem unclear of the difference). Really not ethical to force someone to be a soldier. I also question the effectiveness of the conscripts in supporting the regular force. There are no re-training or involvement in any military exercises to maintain their skill after the 2 years conscription period. Normally for some countries that have conscription to recall them for a period of time for training and joint exercises. Conscription is more suitable for countries that have a small population not Thailand. 

[metisdead]

Inflammatory posts and the inflammatory replies have been removed. 

[Surasak]

5 hours ago, baboon said:

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

The elevator has a number of floors to go yet.

[Tilacme]

3 hours ago, bluesofa said:

My brother-in-law

Are you married ???

[RichardColeman]

Maybe if they dropped the draft and put wayward youths and 'car racers' in the army as a punishment instead of pot ball luck then it may make society a better place ? 

 

Thing is I'd kind of miss the 'i'm borrowing Mum's old clothes' photos

[bannork]

2 hours ago, heybruce said:

" People who received military training in high school, those with medical conditions, transgenders and priests are exempted from the draft."

 

High school graduates who have military training are exempt from the draft.  Why?

 

Pool kids from villages that have crap schools that don't offer military training, or who drop out of schools that don't teach anything worthwhile, are the ones who get drafted.  Everyone else can find a doctor who will confirm a convenient medical condition (bone spurs on the feet?) or simply bribe a commander to get their kids exempted.

Any male who goes to high school for years 4-6 can do what they call rore dore, รด. i.e. military training. The training is not done at the school but at the nearest army centre. 

[chainarong]

They need the conscripts to meet their manpower demands , yeah right , looking after the paddy fields and harvesting rice for their meals , looking after the fish farms, cleaning the top brass motor vehicles , keeping the motor pool clean, house cleaning  the General's house,  bagman pay off duties , arrange set up for the top brass party, helping the major's wife do the shopping,  the Junta fools some some of the time but not all of the time............................................

Edited April 24, 2018 by chainarong

[edwinchester]

No way will the military want an end to conscription.....the Generals will out number the lower ranks.

[heybruce]

17 minutes ago, bannork said:

Any male who goes to high school for years 4-6 can do what they call rore dore, รด. i.e. military training. The training is not done at the school but at the nearest army centre. 

And if there isn't an army center nearby, or if the kids are needed on the farm?

 

My point is that there are many options for middle class and rich kids to avoid the draft, far fewer for poor kids.  I know Thailand is not unique in that regard.  However a modern volunteer military, with properly trained professional soldiers, could be attractive for disciplined poor kids looking for a leg up in life.  A lot of the skills required in a modern military are in high demand in the civilian world.

 

It's all academic, of course.  Thailand's military will never allow the government to tell it how to run its affairs. 

[Media1]

5 hours ago, AGareth2 said:

for what?

servants for the senior ranks?

it's a big rort. They get money off rich families for there son not to be there. Army in Thailand is a joke. It should be a career path chosen only

[Media1]

5 hours ago, humbug said:

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

Nobody wants the army 

[Media1]

7 minutes ago, heybruce said:

And if there isn't an army center nearby, or if the kids are needed on the farm?

 

My point is that there are many options for middle class and rich kids to avoid the draft, far fewer for poor kids.  I know Thailand is not unique in that regard.  However a modern volunteer military, with properly trained professional soldiers, could be attractive for disciplined poor kids looking for a leg up in life.  A lot of the skills required in a modern military are in high demand in the civilian world.

 

It's all academic, of course.  Thailand's military will never allow the government to tell it how to run its affairs. 

They teach them sweet <deleted>. This ain't the AU or USA

[bannork]

10 minutes ago, heybruce said:

And if there isn't an army center nearby, or if the kids are needed on the farm?

 

My point is that there are many options for middle class and rich kids to avoid the draft, far fewer for poor kids.  I know Thailand is not unique in that regard.  However a modern volunteer military, with properly trained professional soldiers, could be attractive for disciplined poor kids looking for a leg up in life.  A lot of the skills required in a modern military are in high demand in the civilian world.

 

It's all academic, of course.  Thailand's military will never allow the government to tell it how to run its affairs. 

I think there is an army centre near Thai high schools. Thai state schools that cater to high school students tend to be rather big.

You're right about anyone with money being able to avoid the draft. And sadly you're right with the rest of your remarks. 

[heybruce]

7 minutes ago, Media1 said:

They teach them sweet <deleted>. This ain't the AU or USA

Currently true.  I was posting about a purely hypothetical, professional modern military.  One that Thailand could have, and should have, but won't have.  The dinosaurs in charge won't allow it.

[midas]

6 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

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

 

incredible insight.

 

Maybe somebody should buy them a copy of  "Politics for Dummies "

[darksidedog]

A number of posts have been removed. This is supposed to be a discussion about the Junta not agreeing with a call for National service to be abolished.

So, please stop the Trolling, Baiting and Off Topic garbage, unless you don't want to be able to post for a few days.

Thank You!

[candide]

4 hours 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.

 

Gosh! For once in my life I may not disagree with hansln!  

 

You guys praising the merits of a professional army seem to live in an ideal world and forget which country is concerned. In this country, the hierarchy of the army has always been anti-democracy, and will likely remain so for a long time.

So what is better? An conscript army with an anti-democracy hierarchy, or a professional army with an anti-democracy hierarchy (in which professional soldiers are likely to be selected and trained according to the hierachy's ideology)?