11 minutes ago, webfact said:

Defending the mandatory conscription, the prime minister said that soldiers have several roles besides defending the country. He said soldiers are necessary in time of crisis as government agencies don’t have enough manpower to deal with such situation

Probably worried about not being able to find enough skivvies for the hundreds (thousands?) of generals. Someone has to feed their chickens and look after their senile parents free of charge for months on end.

 

7 hours ago, jimster said:

The draft needs to end. No way my male children (who are Thai citizens) will be soldiers. Speaking of which I heard it's quite easy to avoid the draft. Anyone know what needs to be done? Pay a fine? This is Thailand after all.

 

Just wear makeup and a nice little mini skirt to drafting. They seem to get exempt from the draft and get some press coverage too.

A big set of titties helps too ?

"...PM insists mandatory conscription is still needed..."

 

...because, without conscription, who would mow the general's lawns? Cook their meals? Chauffeur their wives?

 

It would cause the breakdown of society as we know it.

 

he wants more, so to keep up with the big boys

Conscription is a perk of a General's job; he gets to choose who escapes and who can't afford the bribe.

10 hours ago, baboon said:

Obviously I have no idea what you are talking about, but if I did and were to ask a Thai friend of mine, he might just come up with the figure of 30,000 Baht.

Unfortunately there are some young men too ill to serve their country and will be treated appropriately sympathetically. 

 

If 10,000 parents can afford that every year,  luxury car and watch showrooms will easily be able to keep up with their high annual leases.

A Thai friend recently went to the annual registration/ notification at an Army office, he doesn’t want to go into the army and may have to go through the coloured ball farce, however he was asked if he could or wanted to “pay money “ to prevent any possibility of having to be conscripted! This is the Thai method of dealing with everything “


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10 hours ago, tifino said:

 

my angle comes from the hope that somchai can grow up and unlatch himself from tugging on mummy's apron strings

I came out all right and so did a lot of other Dutch guys after they scrapped the draft. The only thing they learned in military training was drinking beer (draftees). I think you need a smaller professional army that is trained well. Why would you want unmotivated people in a company.. you don't... why would it be different from an army ?

 

Personally I think it would be best if we had a lot less armies the world around. Not so good for arms dealers.. generals ect. But a lot better for the world. 

Think they are right. keep it.

Maybe a few guys will grow up into good guys.

not the idiot Somchai's Thailand has so many of now .

 

Ps maybe increase the budget a bit more and get all teenagers to do it. 

( stop buying subs and stuff ) and you should have the money

a Win Win for Thailand I would say.  

Edited August 8, 20187 yr by stanleycoin

2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...PM insists mandatory conscription is still needed..."

 

...because, without conscription, who would mow the general's lawns? Cook their meals? Chauffeur their wives?

 

It would cause the breakdown of society as we know it.

 

 

31 minutes ago, Darcula said:

 

If 10,000 parents can afford that every year,  luxury car and watch showrooms will easily be able to keep up with their high annual leases.

As so often with a good joke, there is truth behind it. The army (by which I mean the "officer corps") see this as a feudal society, with themselves in the role of the nobility. As feudal lords they are owed a duty of service by their inferiors, and that service can be avoided by a cash payment. 

 

There is another reason for keeping a large number of conscript soldiers. With them comes money. Whilst they are officially paid a wage, their pay and allowances (rations) systems are somewhat opaque. My stepson was never regularly paid during his service, just occasionally given some cash. On one occasion he and his fellow soldiers were sent home for three weeks because his regiment had run out of rations, and had no money to buy any. 

10 hours ago, jimster said:

The draft needs to end. No way my male children (who are Thai citizens) will be soldiers. Speaking of which I heard it's quite easy to avoid the draft. Anyone know what needs to be done? Pay a fine? This is Thailand after all.

Yes this is Thailand where anything can be purchased under the counter. Even freedom from the ballot.

I am reliably informed that 35,000 can buy forgetfulness on the part of the local recruiting officer who handles the registrations listings of eligible young men.

The other option is to buy them some tight underwear, well padded bra, stiletto lace up shoes, a mini dress and about half a kilo of make-up.

11 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

Yes this is Thailand where anything can be purchased under the counter. Even freedom from the ballot.

I am reliably informed that 35,000 can buy forgetfulness on the part of the local recruiting officer who handles the registrations listings of eligible young men.

The other option is to buy them some tight underwear, well padded bra, stiletto lace up shoes, a mini dress and about half a kilo of make-up.

Multiply that 35k by the number nationally who wish to avoid the draft and can/are prepared to pay and it will be a very large amount of money. No doubt paid out via an "alternative accounting system", in shares proportionate to the ranks of all concerned. Think "prize money" in Nelson's navy... 

 

Trumps any argument of military necessity (not that there are any)!

12 hours ago, bluesofa said:

(for those watching in black&white, the red ball is behind the yellow)

 

Sorry. Can't stop posting this, it's your fault.

Best for me was the cricket one.

The batsman's Holding, the bowler's Willie.

Want to avoid the draft? Simple. Just get yourself one of these X-Rays

 

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

PM defends Kingdom’s conscription system

His defense is shallow, not carefully thought out and weak. Conscription is more suitable for small countries (Singapore) or countries with aggressive neighbors (S Korea and Israel). Thailand is none of the above. As Rob said, Thailand has a large population to have a standing army and not necessary for conscription. 

 

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“needs soldiers in times of crisis”.

What is important for conscripts to be useful in crisis is a post conscription program of re-training and upgrading their skills on tactics and armaments. They should be assigned to an active unit for exercises. There are also no system to re-call them quickly when time of crisis. Conscripts only have elementary military skills and really worthless in time of crisis and the re-call time is critical. None of the above is in place and conscripts are practically useless except for serving the generals. 

Given Thailand military history i think they one a battle once against the Burmese,gave the French all their gold after they sent a couple of gun boats up the Chao praya then erected a victory monument,and capitulated to the Japanese after they dropped a couple of bombs on Bangkok,one wonders why they bother to have an army at all.

 

Here's the question:

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“What are we going to do without soldiers?”

And here's the answer:

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Some cadets are also assigned posts on a par with personal servants or errand boys for their seniors.

 

I think every country should have a conscript system.  It allows different groups in society to learn about their country's military services. It promotes more change toward improvement as they either stay with the military or leave and improve it from civilian life.

Prayut says:  "What are we going to do without soldiers?"  Well, to start off with, we would like to know what we are doing with them now.  The UK has 230000 to cope with all its commitments world-wide, whereas Thailand has 700000 , basically it seems, to cope with the need for periodic coups. Can anyone think of any threats to Thailand which require that number of troops and related expensive equipment?

It seems to me that a large Thai military force is mainly a deterrent to its own people and, of course, "face".

14 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Is Thailand the only country that has more generals than conscripts?

I heard a major supermarket were considering a buy-two-get-one-free offer.

 

Silly question, really.

In most countries the number of officers in higher ranks is out of proportioneel with the number of soldiers.

A conscript army, eventually, is nearer to the people as a professional army.

In a lot of countries that is much better.

Quote

“What are we going to do without soldiers?” Prayut said

The (retired) RTA guy who owns the vacant house across from me, would be in a tight spot for sure.   Once a month he and his wife come with a squad of conscripts to clean up, which I do appreciate so the place isn't an eyesore.

Quote

“They also become more disciplined after quitting the service, because they go through training,” the retired general added.

The Lads don't look very trained, coordinated or motivated though.  They are prime candidates for some *MOUT training during the next Cobra Gold; specifically **TTPs for a highly effective ***QRCF.

 

   *  Military Operations in Urban Terrain

 **  Tactics, Techniques and Procedures

*** Quick Reaction Cleaning Force

 

I just think Uncle Tuu is reminiscing about his days coming up through the draft process, working his way up through the ranks to the lofty peak of General, well at least i think he may have done it that way, then again maybe not, i forgot you can pay your way to the top job, saves all that messing about straight into the top slot Bingo!

What is HE and his elite military cronies going to do without soldiers. THAT is his real question.

I just think Uncle Tuu is reminiscing about his days coming up through the draft process, working his way up through the ranks to the lofty peak of General, well at least i think he may have done it that way, then again maybe not, i forgot you can pay your way to the top job, saves all that messing about straight into the top slot Bingo!

Wasn’t that a script for a ‘Blackadder’ episode?


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15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

...the Kingdom “needs soldiers in times of crisis”

...like a shortage of domestic workers and servants for 600 generals?

15 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

UK and Thailand have similar population sizes.

 

UK armed forces - approximately 230,000 personnel. Professionals, no conscripts (Territorial Army are volunteers, but well trained).

 

Thai armed forces - approximately 700,000 personnel. I can't comment about professionalism.

 

Seems to me that Thailand should employ fewer, but better trained and better paid, people. Encourage young men and women to consider the armed forces as a career and gradually phase out conscription.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_military_and_paramilitary_personnel

Now you have to show us the numbers of top line officers, comparing the two;

admirals, generals, field marshals, air marshal-in-generals.....

16 hours ago, bluesofa said:

**** that for a game of soldiers.

 

 

As my old drill instructor used to say

 

"If you can't take a joke, then you shouldn't have joined".

 

If you want a volunteer army then get rid of ALL the surplus generals, give the recruits a proper salary, proper useful trade training and a career path, get rid of ALL the BS duties, get rid of ALL the DI bullies, get the troops AND the Generals back in the barracks where they belong.

 

That may be a start but it will never happen under any military coup government.

Out dated,  old fashion and no use whatso ever to the Generals who have to utilize conscripts and what's more interferes with their education at Uni, if where posted they don't have the correct courses at Uni.

12 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...PM insists mandatory conscription is still needed..."

 

...because, without conscription, who would mow the general's lawns? Cook their meals? Chauffeur their wives?

 

It would cause the breakdown of society as we know it.

 

Not just generals

22 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

They also become more disciplined after quitting the service

that's abosolutely right. The other day I watched them cleaning a General's house and doing gardening. Also they had to wash and repair fences and climb up trees for harvesting.

And....it looks very disciplined...