2 hours ago, kirbi53 said:

6 years! 

 

A hell of a long wait 

 

As soon as the navy submerges them in the Gulf of Thailand they will be obsolete and need to order new ones!

Or they will be obsolete even before they get them so will be second hand.

They are already obsolete otherwise China wouldn't be selling them.  Anyway; they are just being used as a 'vehicle' to extort more corrupt billions from the Tax payer in much the same way the Aircraft Carrier was back when and they will suffer the same fate of being laid up rotting away in some Dock.    Since when did Thailand train hundreds of Sailors as Submariners ?

2 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

They are already obsolete otherwise China wouldn't be selling them.  Anyway; they are just being used as a 'vehicle' to extort more corrupt billions from the Tax payer in much the same way the Aircraft Carrier was back when and they will suffer the same fate of being laid up rotting away in some Dock.    Since when did Thailand train hundreds of Sailors as Submariners ?

They would first need to build a dock, then train hundreds on sailors and a few captains and then comes the most crucial part, it also needs to be fuelled and it will not be 1000 baht for full tank ????

1 minute ago, BestB said:

They would first need to build a dock, then train hundreds on sailors and a few captains and then comes the most crucial part, it also needs to be fuelled and it will not be 1000 baht for full tank ????

They will just park them up beside the rotting Carrier, no need for Fuel !

Getting ready for when the farang steal all the islands

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Twenty years old and ne'er a shot fired, a berm stormed, a wall breached nor a river crossed.

 

And don't get me started on the maintenance comment. You can get a whole lot of WD-40 for 1.1% of GDP.

Thailands recent military history.

 

• 4.2.10East Timor (1999–2002)
• 4.2.11Iraq War (2003–2004)
• 4.2.12Southern insurgency (2001–ongoing)
• 4.2.13Cambodian–Thai border stand-off (2008–2011)
• 4.2.14Sudan (2010–2011)
• 4.2.15Afghanistan (2012)

I could sort of understand the updating of military hardware but as the majority of Thailand's borders are land borders I would have thought that submarines were a complete none entity, exactly where is the threat warranting the purchase of this type of very costly equipment..?? The main conflict is still in the southern border with Malaysia therefore spending money on land based equipment would make much better sense..

Meanwhile, the economy is tanking, (actual, not fake) tourism numbers are declining, businesses are closing, investors are moving elsewhere, the poor (mostly outside Bangkok) are suffering, farmers are being shafted,  the educational system is a total mess, bureaucrats are ripping everyone off, the cops are lining their pockets at the expense of innocent citizens ... do I need to go on?

More tax money for the bloated military?

Shameful. Simply shameful. 

 

No announcement from him that he would not allow corruption in the departments under his control !

I have it on good authority that the submarines can be quickly modified by the installation of tracks enabling the streamlined shapes to easily penetrate jungle terrain. Trials are in progress on the effectiveness of torpedos in a woodland environment. 

4 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Thailands recent military history.

 

• 4.2.10East Timor (1999–2002)
• 4.2.11Iraq War (2003–2004)
• 4.2.12Southern insurgency (2001–ongoing)
• 4.2.13Cambodian–Thai border stand-off (2008–2011)
• 4.2.14Sudan (2010–2011)
• 4.2.15Afghanistan (2012)

Thanks for the links. Apart from the southern insurgency and stooging around the Cambodian borders, a fair bit of that is either UN peacekeeping or specifically non-combat assignments. So whatever the army, air force and navy have bought in the last 20 years has already been painted white and donated to UN peacekeeping missions? Is that right?

1 hour ago, buanmeerugsaa said:

Meanwhile, the economy is tanking, (actual, not fake) tourism numbers are declining, businesses are closing, investors are moving elsewhere, the poor (mostly outside Bangkok) are suffering, farmers are being shafted,  the educational system is a total mess, bureaucrats are ripping everyone off, the cops are lining their pockets at the expense of innocent citizens ... do I need to go on?

More tax money for the bloated military?

Shameful. Simply shameful. 

 

Maybe the military hardware is to eventually keep the tourists and Thai people in.....rather than escaping to some normality !!!

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Prawit said the budget proposed by the Defence Ministry would cover the purchase of equipment for the Army, Navy and the Air Force

Prawit is not using names maybe because it would make him sound ridiculous. Otherwise, this article would read:

• 'Deputy Prime Minister Prawit said the budget proposed by the Minister of Defence Prime Minister Prayut ...'

It looks like it's going to be a repeat façade when Prayut treated his position as Prime Minister as kind of a split personality separate from his position as NCPO Chief. Prayut was actually endorsed twice as part of the "new" 2019 government - once for PM and once as a member of PM's Cabinet as Defence Minister. 

 

8 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Don't forget they already built the sub base.  

is it along side where the never to move plane less aircraft carrier sits mournfully doing bugger all?  

6 minutes ago, Artisi said:

is it along side where the never to move plane less aircraft carrier sits mournfully doing bugger all?  

I think that the carrier IS the sub base. A hole cut below the waterline to ship in and out and plenty of hiding space inside would do the job. The Gulf of Thailand is so shallow that there is no need to come up to periscope depth; you're there already.????

Prawit explains plans to purchase Army equipment

 

   I beg your pardon, but how could he?

 

   He can't even explain where all his luxury watches came from. 

"Deputy Defense Minister Gen Chaichan Changmongkol added that countries usually allocate 2 per cent of the GDP for the acquisition of army equipment."

Wrong - NATO recommends that its member countries spend 2% of GDP on defense budget (not purchase of equipment only). Not all member countries make that milestone. Seems the General needs to do some reading.

But with brilliant planning these purchases will be cheaper in THB due to the high exchange rate at the moment. More USD to spend. Never mind what the damage the exchange rate is doing to the Thai economy and to Thai people.

9 hours ago, z42 said:

At what point should a person be content with the unearned wealth they can accumulate at the nation they purport to love's expense?

Obviously rhetorical as at 74 years old and millions of usd in his grubby hands he still wants more.

 

To say that this man is beneath contempt is an understatement 

 

8 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Since there are no external threats to Thailand, Thai people should be very concerned with these purchases!

'Anupong, Somkid vow zero tolerance for corruption '

In the very unlikely case they mean it they should have an easy case against their fat friend.

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

Thanks for the links. Apart from the southern insurgency and stooging around the Cambodian borders, a fair bit of that is either UN peacekeeping or specifically non-combat assignments. So whatever the army, air force and navy have bought in the last 20 years has already been painted white and donated to UN peacekeeping missions? Is that right?

The UN peace keeping operations are extremely lucrative for the countries which supply the troops. In addition much of the additional equipment which may be needed is funded by the UN. Basically they pay - rather a lot - to hire in the troops. Given the informal nature of accounting in Thailand, such deployments may benefit certain circles within the military...

Much of the Military Equipment is 20 Years old, but the Hospitals for the people are over 60 years old.

Typical Military Government.

17 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

Much of the Military Equipment is 20 Years old, but the Hospitals for the people are over 60 years old.

Typical Military Government.

My youngest was born in the local army hospital in Udon and it easily beat the offerings for my first born at a Bangkok Hospital and not only in price. I have read about plenty retirees speaking very highly of the Queen Sirikit Naval Hospital in Sattahip. With the amount of military facilities across this blighted nation, there's plenty of quality, hospital choices out there.

Anybody know when the next coup is due? Only asking.

I did hear the Air Force wanted an Aircraft Carrier, one that could fly, if its good for Captain Scarlet it good enough for the RTAF.

My guess whatever they buy nothing ends up in the deep south and recruits still got killed on a weekly basis. Doesn't wonder me at all that the cabinet just was appointed and everyone wants to push their projects through.

 

 

22 minutes ago, nong38 said:

Anybody know when the next coup is due? Only asking.

I did hear the Air Force wanted an Aircraft Carrier, one that could fly, if its good for Captain Scarlet it good enough for the RTAF.

This is the only carrier they're likely to get:

14 hours ago, colinneil said:

The armed forces need to purchase more modern equipment, and i am needing a top up in my accounts would have been a more honest comment.

Turn the sentence around; top up my (watch) account and if there is anything left, go for submarines and other absolutely useless toys like the aircraft carrier tied up at the piers of Sattahip for decades ........ 

Considering the frightening threat of Laos or Burma invading Thailand with their submarines .....

The man is a disgrace to Thailand, to politics and to the human race 

15 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

Think he want to buy more expensive watches. What's the going commission rate for military hardware these days?

At least watches are cheaper than useless submarines!! ????????????????

Is this all code for The Toad saying he needs some kickback and time is slipping by for his time at the trough? 

On 7/27/2019 at 6:30 AM, rooster59 said:

equipment the Royal Armed Forces currently has is more than 20 years old

 

On 7/27/2019 at 6:30 AM, rooster59 said:

a lot of the equipment now required maintenance. 

20 years without maintenance it is a bit much.

Off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

On 7/27/2019 at 9:10 AM, gunderhill said:

surely  fake  news.........maintenance ? in  Thailand?

It's not fake news. Thailand does not do maintenance, so new equipment is required. It's easy enough to understand, isn't it?

Gotta keep the boys happy we don't want another coup do we, well maybe not, Im not sure!