Abused draftee no ‘Servant’, merely ‘borrowed’, says Prawit

By The Nation

 

 

Faced with media reports about an Army private having to take care of an officer’s chickens and fighting cocks, Deputy Premier and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Tuesday insisted that there was no such thing as “servant soldiers”.

 

He said the practice of putting recruits to personal service was a thing of the past in the armed forces.

 

General Prawit allowed, however, that junior soldiers might be “willingly borrowed from other units to voluntarily serve their seniors”.

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha refused to respond to media questions on the matter, saying only that it wasn’t his direct responsibility.

 

The secondary question raised on social media is whether young able-bodied men must go through compulsory military training when the country has faced no serious armed threat in decades. 

 

But the chief focus of criticism is the appropriateness of military draftees being assigned to do personal chores for their superiors. It’s common for the “grunts” to help around the house at officers’ residences and run mundane errands.

 

Prawit seemed to imply that the military doesn’t officially have “servants”, but there is a tradition of putting foot soldiers to work polishing shoes.

 

Army chief General Chalermchai Sittisart on Monday said the private at the heart of this matter – he posted a video on Facebook complaining about being mistreated for being a poor rooster groom – would be returned to his unit without suffering repercussions.

 

The private said he was drafted and assigned to Thanarat Infantry Camp in Prachuap Khiri Khan, but had to live in unhygienic conditions while tending to the unidentified officer’s hens and cocks.

 

If he failed to meet expectations, he said, he was often scolded rudely and his face was slapped.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30350258

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-7-17

We remember you Prawit, how was it.

You survived as a recruit, you weren't beaten to death.

7 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

General Prawit allowed, however, that junior soldiers might be “willingly borrowed from other units to voluntarily serve their seniors”.

 

Just like borrowing watches from a friend. Perfectly normal.

How would he know ?

My ex-brother-in-law is a senior sergeant and it was normal that young soldiers cleaned his house instead of his lazy wife and the rest of the family. My impression (they live in an Army house near a camp) that this was perfectly normal for him and all other Army personnel and their families living there.

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

General Prawit allowed, however, that junior soldiers might be “willingly borrowed from other units to voluntarily serve their seniors”.

That’s still a servant soldier.  

There ya go, the soldier putting false info out there that is not good for the country's reputation. Couldn't be the other way round as really having servant soldiers for the fat head higher rank officers.  

29 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

That’s still a servant soldier.  

Agree, and no matter how you look at it totally inappropriate.

41 minutes ago, hanuman2543 said:

My ex-brother-in-law is a senior sergeant and it was normal that young soldiers cleaned his house instead of his lazy wife and the rest of the family. My impression (they live in an Army house near a camp) that this was perfectly normal for him and all other Army personnel and their families living there.

Seen this before in my old condo in Bkk, loud intimidating navy officer's Thai wife had 3 young guys (from conscription) as cleaners, helpers, drivers, laborers, shopping trolley pushers etc., (read servants). 

 

They were terrified of her, and she had no hesitation to abuse them, slap them, kick them and more.

 

The twist is that her navy high ranking husband was also terrified of her, was also regularly slapped, etc.

 

 

 

And as there ain't anyone left believing Prawit (except the ones visibly having no other choice)... In some years, I'm sure he will even be able to say: 'I am not Prawit' to the ones arresting him, with a straight face (...well, this last not being easy with what mother nature did to him)! LOL

2 minutes ago, scorecard said:

noSeen this before in my old condo in Bkk, loud intimidating navy officer's Thai wife had 3 young guys (from conscription) as cleaners, helpers, drivers, laborers, shopping trolley pushers etc., (read servants). 

 

They were terrified of her, and she had no hesitation to abuse them, slap them, kick them and more.

 

The twist is that her navy high ranking husband was also terrified of her, was also regularly slapped, etc.

 

 

 

I guess the lady didn't have enough torpedo action. Scary. 

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

General Prawit allowed, however, that junior soldiers might be “willingly borrowed from other units to voluntarily serve their seniors”.

Yeah. We know how that works. 'Eeny, meeny, miny... You. Congratulations, you have just volunteered. Got a problem with that, have you...?'

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

General Prawit allowed, however, that junior soldiers might be “willingly borrowed from other units to voluntarily serve their seniors”.

How do you borrow a person ?  Just shows you people are a commodity in this country.

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha refused to respond to media questions on the matter, saying only that it wasn’t his direct responsibility. 

Neither is twerking, but he has lots to say about that.  I take having to put up with twerking over face slaps any day. 

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

He said the practice of putting recruits to personal service was a thing of the past in the armed forces.

 

General Prawit allowed, however, that junior soldiers might be “willingly borrowed from other units to voluntarily serve their seniors”.

So, if they did they could although the practice doesn't go on anymore. But they did because they could. So if they could wouldn't you think they would now.

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

That’s still a servant soldier.  

Yes, a pig dressed up is still a pig. 

1 hour ago, tracker1 said:

How would he know ?

Looks like Benny has a touch of Narcolepsy. 150mg of Nuvigil will fix that or the alarm on his expensive watch to go off every 10 minutes. Very serious condition.

33 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

I guess the lady didn't have enough torpedo action. Scary. 

Indeed. Another twist, her first husband was a farang who was the original purchaser of the big condo he then divorced the dragon and she got the big condo in the divorce settlement.

 

The condo was one level above us and covered the entire other side of the internal corridor, and we often heard very loud nasty abuse from the Thai lady aimed at her navy husband, and her approx. 20 year old daughter,

 

Neighbors mentioned that when the farang husband was living there he and the dragon had several serious violent punching matches every year in the corridor with police and medics etc., called. 

 

The later navy husband was frightened of her and a number of times he bailed out and slept at the swimming pool with the young conscripts. Neighbors shared that several times the navy officer had tried to stop having the young conscripts come to the condo, but the dragon called other officers and the young conscripts returned.

 

 

 

 

Was he asked to go polish me watch cock and then came back with a shiny chicken.

3 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

an Army private having to take care of an officer’s chickens and fighting cocks

Eh .! What are they some sort of hillbilly army .? Bit middle ages that is it not .? The animal liberators will give 'em a right good pecking if this gets out .. But does it come as a surprise in a country that has a TV channel dedicated to bull & cock fighting ..

Let face it thailand as a country and how its run is a joke.same as most African countries.it cant control or do anything right.army,navy,government,rescues,banking ,international business.theres more on the list but I ain't got all day.totally fake country.im only saying this as I can now I've got some offers on my house.

Oh,  that borrowing excuse. Worked for Prawit before so why not again. 

The word borrowed is slowly being worked into the lexicon of excuses here - before long it will be right up there with misunderstanding. 

More horse apples!

 

Subserviency is still prevalent in Thailand.

 

It can be seen, almost every day, on national TV.

 

 

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha refused to respond to media questions on the matter, saying only that it wasn’t his direct responsibility.

 

No general, you're wrong. You can delegate authority but you cannot delegate responsibility. You're in charge...you own it.

 

 

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

He said the practice of putting recruits to personal service was a thing of the past in the armed forces.

 

Who does he think he is kidding. These lads are in the armed forces, if an officer tells you to jump, your only question would be How High, or you get the consequences.....

1 minute ago, AhFarangJa said:

Who does he think he is kidding. These lads are in the armed forces, if an officer tells you to jump, your only question would be How High, or you get the consequences.....

Indeed. 'It's your funeral' is not a metaphor in this corner of the world...

11 hours ago, scorecard said:

Seen this before in my old condo in Bkk, loud intimidating navy officer's Thai wife had 3 young guys (from conscription) as cleaners, helpers, drivers, laborers, shopping trolley pushers etc., (read servants). 

 

They were terrified of her, and she had no hesitation to abuse them, slap them, kick them and more.

 

The twist is that her navy high ranking husband was also terrified of her, was also regularly slapped, etc.

 

 

 

They should have slapped her back. What disgusting behaviour!

 

My b/f was (supposedly) in something called the Army as a conscript in BKK in 2011-12 when I first met him. He used to climb over the barracks walls at midnight to go in search of food ... His duties included guarding royal palaces and minding the colonel's dog. He was a slim good-looking young man so his main duty seems to have been standing around looking lovely.

 

Some appropriate tea offerings had him released from all of his onerous duties ...

If he were a halfway smart guy, he would shun the term "borrow" in public announcements like the devil the holy water for the rest of his life.

Please stop trying to imply that this is a "Thai" only situation. When I was in the military I was used as a pot washer in the kitchen instead of learning to do my job, and sent to do the garden of an officer, while others were sent to fix his car. That was on a Saturday in our time off.

I don't know if "batmen" still exist, but they were junior ranks assigned to clean officer's shoes etc, and there used to be soldiers used as waiters for officer's mess, which may still happen for all I know.

16 hours ago, tracker1 said:

How would he know ?

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1047908-report-stand-to-attention-prayut-reminds-officials-about-ceremonial-etiquette/

                                               

 

Edited July 18, 20187 yr by Lupatria