Defence spokesman defends military budget

[webfact]

Defence spokesman defends military budget

 

 

The Thai military has defended its spending of about 1 trillion baht, or 7% of the fiscal budget, over the past five years and claimed it had not increased substantially.

 

Speaking at length to the media today about defence budgets since the coup, Defence Ministry spokesman Lt-Gen Kongcheep Tantravanich also insisted that the budgeting process of military spending was transparent and endorsed by the National Legislative Assembly and that the amount of the increases each fiscal year was in line with those of the national budget and had increased every year to about three trillion baht this fiscal year.

 

He pointed out that defence budgets of elected administrations from 1993 to 1998 averaged about 12.7 percent of the entire fiscal budget compared to about seven percent under the junta’s regime.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/defence-spokesman-defends-military-budget/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2019-02-21

[Samui Bodoh]

"...On arms procurement, the spokesman explained that the military assesses perceived risks every 5-10 years and how best to cope with such threats based on acceptable risks. “For instance, our planes must be ready for operations all the time.  But we are now facing many shortages and they need to be replenished,” he said, adding “there is nothing fishy or hidden about military budgets. If we have less budget, we will just use krathin trees to build a fence.  But if we have more budget, we can build a barbed wire fence or a concrete wall and then equip it with a CCTV system.  Soldiers are like fences and we reinforce the fence to protect national interests...”

 

What utter nonsense. 

 

Instead of writing a long, damning condemnation of the budget abuse inflicted on Thailand by the military, I will put it into words they use and understand;

 

"Use krathin trees"

 

 

[leeneeds]

Where is the threat? or perceived future threat coming from?

In bed with the Chinese , Cambodians, Americans, 

Only threat I see, is in the south where the fundamentalists are trying to get established 

you sure don't need a submarine to combat those  extremists, 

 

[a977]

For a country that has never been at war why the big budget? Ah sorry friend now dead have to get watch somehow

[mok199]

Poison air or military hardware? Nothing says'' Look at me'', more than a slightly used tank or submarine. let the backslapping begin.

[baboon]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Speaking at length to the media today about defence budgets since the coup, Defence Ministry spokesman Lt-Gen Kongcheep Tantravanich also insisted that the budgeting process of military spending was transparent and endorsed by the National Legislative Assembly

Ah, well that makes all the difference. Just as long as the military budget is endorsed by the rubber stamp parliament the military installed. How much do they cost, by the way?

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The Thai military has defended its spending of about 1 trillion baht, or 7% of the fiscal budget, over the past five years and claimed it had not increased substantially.

These spokesmen are the best liars, chosen as such because they are so, troubling they seem to believe their lies, a self delusional talent it seems

[DPKANKAN]

4 hours ago, leeneeds said:

Where is the threat? or perceived future threat coming from?

In bed with the Chinese , Cambodians, Americans, 

Only threat I see, is in the south where the fundamentalists are trying to get established 

you sure don't need a submarine to combat those  extremists, 

 

Actually the main threat is from China, through the front door, but they are too stupid to see it!! I think I am going to change from Thai language lessons to Chinese.  Okray?????????????

[Snow Leopard]

4 minutes ago, DPKANKAN said:

Actually the main threat is from China, through the front door, but they are too stupid to see it!! I think I am going to change from Thai language lessons to Chinese.  Okray?????????????

You are correct. Chinese through the front door. I am in favour of Thailand maintaining a healthy military with modern equipment. I would like to see though how much of the budget disappears off into the ethos. The actual military spend would be around 2-3% probably. 

[webfact]

RELATED:

 

Army chief’s attempt to shut down election talk of budget cuts backfires

By Jitraporn Sennawong, Nattaphat Phromkaew 
The Nation

 

 

The Army chief’s attempt to scare politicians off discussing the Army budget and reform by indirectly calling them “enemies of the state” has instead backfired, as many Thais have emerged with additional proposals for reforms of the military, and others are protesting the chief’s invocation of the farrightist anthem.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1085515-army-chief’s-attempt-to-shut-down-election-talk-of-budget-cuts-backfires/

[Lucius verus]

Thais love uniforms. Police,immigration officers,immigration police,army,navy, air force ,school teachers and principles,fake cops and guards.

Some politicians have mentioned trimming down the number of  generals. Good luck!There will be another coup just around the corner.

[holy cow cm]

Good ole NLA again.

[yellowboat]

That is 33billion USD unless I am mistaken for Thailand.   Taiwan wanted 11billion USD for 2019, and they have a real aggressor who advocates conflict if necessary.   

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/08/06/asia-pacific/taiwans-tsai-ing-wen-seeks-11-billion-defence-budget-china-threat-grows/#.XG4gIFUza00

 

Why does the Thai military need so much money, and why do they need conscripts, when those who have far more to fear need less ?    

 

How will the good soldier defend his position ?

[Kieran00001]

6 hours ago, leeneeds said:

Where is the threat? or perceived future threat coming from?

In bed with the Chinese , Cambodians, Americans, 

Only threat I see, is in the south where the fundamentalists are trying to get established 

you sure don't need a submarine to combat those  extremists, 

 

 

The genuine threat in the south is from separatists not fundamentalists, the latter are very weak in Thailand.

[Kieran00001]

12 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

That is 33billion USD unless I am mistaken for Thailand.   Taiwan wanted 11billion USD for 2019, and they have a real aggressor who advocates conflict if necessary.   

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/08/06/asia-pacific/taiwans-tsai-ing-wen-seeks-11-billion-defence-budget-china-threat-grows/#.XG4gIFUza00

 

Why does the Thai military need so much money, and why do they need conscripts, when those who have far more to fear need less ?    

 

They have a disproportionate amount of generals on disproportionately high salaries, that would be the main reason for needing such a disproportionately high budget.

[sawadeeken]

I'd just like to ask how this 'Military spending' compare with funds alotted for 'Public education' of the 'poor children' of Thailand..... OR.... the Public Schools......  I DON'T THINK THEY WANT TO DISCUSS THAT...... LOL .....

[Hayduke]

8 hours ago, leeneeds said:

Where is the threat? or perceived future threat coming from?

 

Obviously there is no threat. But it's more than a little ironic that if a hostile force did actually show up on Thailand’s border.…the army would immediately surrender, invite them in, and try to sell their gear to the invaders.

 

[Kieran00001]

1 hour ago, sawadeeken said:

I'd just like to ask how this 'Military spending' compare with funds alotted for 'Public education' of the 'poor children' of Thailand..... OR.... the Public Schools......  I DON'T THINK THEY WANT TO DISCUSS THAT...... LOL .....

 

They are open about how much they spend on education, its the largest single expenditure at about half a trillion baht, which is 20% of the total budget, so about three times the amount spent on the military.

[nong38]

The Thai military has in excess of 1750 persons of the rank of General/Admiral in its military, by comparison the US has 964. With equipment they have been buying taken into account one could only say that the outfit is incompetent, the standard of people in charge is somewhat on the low side and the only reason anybody would attack them is that it would be a pushover, so many people in charge everyone with a different view, a chain of command that stretches from Walking Street to Soi Buckhao and the only decisions they seem to make are bad ones.

[Ulic]

Seems really high to me. How does this compare to the countries GDP and what Western countries spend of their fiscal budgets on their military? 

[ocddave]

Defending the indefensible.