Military offers some explanations to Thanathorn's queries, mum on wealth of generals

[rooster59]

Military offers some explanations to Thanathorn's queries, mum on wealth of generals

By THE NATION

 

Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit

 

Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the leader of Future Forward Party (FWP), has asked the Defence Ministry about its budget use, and in response to his many queries Army representatives offered explanations on Saturday (November 30).

 

 

The first point Thanathorn wanted to know was the Bt18.657 billion budget of the Defence Ministry, which was almost equal to the budgets of the Commerce and Digital Economy and Society ministries together.

 

He also asked the Defence Ministry to show details on:

 

1 Income from using radio waves in the past 10 years;

 

2 List of companies managing radio wave concessions and their contracts;

 

3 Contracts between the Army and Channel 7 dating back to 1969;

 

4 Income from allowing concession to Channel 7 every year dating back to 1969;

 

5 Income from rental multiplexer;

 

6 Agreement between the Defence Ministry and the Finance Ministry on budgets;

 

7 Details of off-budget funds types 1 and 2.

 

Thanathorn explained that his doubts on these issues were possibly related to the unusual wealth of those generals, and which people were curious to know about.

 

 

“According to the accounts presented to the National Anti-Corruption Commission in late May, there were 81 generals in the National Legislative Assembly holding Bt78 million of assets, or who earned around Bt12.72 million per year.

 

“Their income was three times their salaries, which means most of them were having a side business,” Thanathorn said.

 

Responding to the queries, General Pornpipat Benyasri, the commander-in-chief, responded that the fund set aside from the budget of up to Bt18 billion was managed by the Budget Bureau, while the disbursement was operated normally without special treatment.

 

On income transparency, he said that members of the National Legislative Assembly had already disclosed their properties before and after taking up their position. He also confirmed that relevant authorities will submit the documents about other details to Thanathorn later.

 

Meanwhile, General Apirat Kongsompong confirmed that some of the money was income from the military hospital, which will be used for management. Regarding the multiplexer cost, he said that the contracts with Channel 5 and Channel 7 had expired in 2018. He said the military already had a plan to reduce both the number of generals and the size of the military. However, Apirat did not answer the question of the unusual wealth of the generals.

 

Thanathorn asked about details on fund management and who was responsible for the management. He insisted that he would like to see the financial statements of all Army race courses and asked why it must be under Army control since it is not the Army’s main mission.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30378935

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-12-01

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[baboon]

'You'll get yours, son, don't you worry. And I'm not talking about your share of the take...'

[scorecard]

25 minutes ago, baboon said:

'You'll get yours, son, don't you worry. And I'm not talking about your share of the take...'

Yes he's certainly making himself a target for retribution and especially by confronting apirat, however I admire his bravery to try to get answers to these important questions.

 

 

 

 

[YetAnother]

52 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Thanathorn explained that his doubts on these issues were possibly related to the unusual wealth of those generals

excellent example , compressed, of where we live; over militarized by corrupt people

[baboon]

4 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Yes he's certainly making himself a target for retribution and especially by confronting apirat, however I admire his bravery to try to get answers to these important questions.

 

 

 

 

Indeed. Bigger balls than I will ever have, that's for sure...

[YetAnother]

55 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

and asked why it must be under Army control since it is not the Army’s main mission.

what he is really asking is why the army does not report to the civilian government, this is the guy this country really needs in the top spot

[ChipButty]

My guess there is a bullet with his name on it somewhere

[Lungstib]

An institution with its tentacled dug well into society that doesn't feel the need to explain its operations or its individuals wealth. It says all you need to know that information will not be forthcoming. We know who has ultimate control here when the ombudsman can announce the PM for 5 years was appointed 'outside of the law' and yet be legal.

[unamazedloso]

i dont like this guy but dam i respect him! The only person nationwide asking the tough questions. respect....

[Mango Bob]

I just did a Google search and came up with these figures.  There are 1,750 general in the Thai Army compared  to 231 general in the American Army.  

Edited December 1, 2019 by Mango Bob

[klauskunkel]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

However, Apirat did not answer the question of the unusual wealth of the generals.

He then rapped an impromptu version of "Nak Paendin"...

 

[Don Mega]

"or who earned around Bt12.72 million per year, Their income was three times their salaries"

 

dayum, 4.24m salary per year is generous !!

[Denim]

Something wrong with those figures.

 

81 generals in the NLA holding combined assets of 78 million baht ?

 That's less than 1 millions worth of assets per general ?

 

Do they all live in 2 bedroom terraced houses and pedal bicycles to work?

[Denim]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

He said the military already had a plan to reduce both the number of generals and the size of the military.

 

By giving 250 of them full time jobs as senators thus killing two birds with one stone.

[mikebell]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Their income was three times their salaries

In normal societies this would result in police scrutiny.

 

59 minutes ago, Lungstib said:

the PM for 5 years was appointed 'outside of the law' and yet be legal.

And his 'oppo' banks 5 million a year MORE than his salary and has done for the last FIVE years.

[Eligius]

There is no way I can see brave and honourable Thanathorn being allowed to stay on, free, in Thailand: he will either be jailed or - more likely - forced to flee from a regime that is out to destroy him.

[robblok]

Brave guy and no wonder the army kept mum about their wealth increases.

[sammieuk1]

Apirat did not answer the question of the unusual wealth of the generals because its perfectly normal for Generals to make it on to the MSN rich list from time to time ????

 

[smutcakes]

I would like him to ask what exactly is the JD of an army general and what exactly do the tax payer pay you a salary to do? 

[leeneeds]

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

He said the military already had a plan to reduce both the number of generals and the size of the military.

No need for conscription to continue then! 

[PJPom]

As one of my subjects at school I studied the History of Britain and Europe and find many similarities to present day Thailand. The granting of concessions by the Monarch, the absolute rule by the minority, the only knowledge carefully controlled by the Lord or the Church.

This was seven hundred years ago............

[RichardColeman]

38 minutes ago, leeneeds said:

No need for conscription to continue then! 

oooh just imagine the rebellion of the Generals being sent to the far south to make up for that

[Yadon Toploy]

57 minutes ago, robblok said:

Brave guy and no wonder the army kept mum about their wealth increases.

I've read a few post from the last few years and you seem to be an ardent military/coup supporter?

 

12 minutes ago, PJPom said:

As one of my subjects at school I studied the History of Britain and Europe and find many similarities to present day Thailand. The granting of concessions by the Monarch, the absolute rule by the minority, the only knowledge carefully controlled by the Lord or the Church.

This was seven hundred years ago............

Yes, that is pretty much where we are.

 

A few glitzy shopping malls seem to fool the dimlos though.

[robblok]

6 minutes ago, Yadon Toploy said:

I've read a few post from the last few years and you seem to be an ardent military/coup supporter?

 

I was no fan of the corrupt Shins, just the other side of the coin. I am no fan of the junta either corrupt too. I am against corruption and that does not depend on who is in charge. I was in favor of a short coup before like previous ones. To get the Shins on their corruption and they did see the fake G2G deals. But now the army is doing the same (not same thing but are corrupt too and stayed in power too long). 

 

Future forward on the other hand seems to be a new party with fresh faces that is anti corruption. The owner really put his assets in a blind thrust so he could not profit from being in power. I like that kind of thinking a lot.

 

As I said I am against corruption. But the PTP is not the solution, I mean we got a drug minister here and a murderer MP in the PTP instead of attacking their own they protect their own (in both cases) and attack the crimes of the other side. I really dislike that as its just pure hypocrisy.  Future forward seems to be above that. I hope that they will keep going strong and bring change to this party. The old faces cannot (on both sides) fresh new faces are needed.

[ChipButty]

31 minutes ago, PJPom said:

As one of my subjects at school I studied the History of Britain and Europe and find many similarities to present day Thailand. The granting of concessions by the Monarch, the absolute rule by the minority, the only knowledge carefully controlled by the Lord or the Church.

This was seven hundred years ago............

Thats Thailand 700 hundred years behind

[ChipButty]

8 minutes ago, robblok said:

I was no fan of the corrupt Shins, just the other side of the coin. I am no fan of the junta either corrupt too. I am against corruption and that does not depend on who is in charge. I was in favor of a short coup before like previous ones. To get the Shins on their corruption and they did see the fake G2G deals. But now the army is doing the same (not same thing but are corrupt too and stayed in power too long). 

 

Future forward on the other hand seems to be a new party with fresh faces that is anti corruption. The owner really put his assets in a blind thrust so he could not profit from being in power. I like that kind of thinking a lot.

 

As I said I am against corruption. But the PTP is not the solution, I mean we got a drug minister here and a murderer MP in the PTP instead of attacking their own they protect their own (in both cases) and attack the crimes of the other side. I really dislike that as its just pure hypocrisy.  Future forward seems to be above that. I hope that they will keep going strong and bring change to this party. The old faces cannot (on both sides) fresh new faces are needed.

I agree with you I have lived here a long time and I do keep up with what goes on which I dont like to see but Thai people as you know in general just accept it, as the saying goes They Feather their own nest first

[robblok]

4 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I agree with you I have lived here a long time and I do keep up with what goes on which I dont like to see but Thai people as you know in general just accept it, as the saying goes They Feather their own nest first

Yes true, though I was on a holliday in Koh Lipe and they asked me if i liked the Thai PM (in a massage shop). I have been there a few years so they know i speak Thai and was with my parents. I know them too so that is how the question arise. So i answered politely "better not to discuss" in Thai. They had to laugh and agreed with me. Many Thais don't seem to like him. Sure there a lot that do if you look at the votes he got (not counting democrats and allies) its still impressive. 

 

Had a discussion with a lady from Singapore that lived here about corruption and seems both of us dont like it but don't see it going away soon (slowly it is) but its a mentality thing.

[Chazar]

3 hours ago, ChipButty said:

My guess there is a bullet with his name on it somewhere

Car  crash  more  likely

[spacelord]

And, now for the complete answer. First, some facts as reported over there years by this and other other Thai news organizations. The Thai military has more than 3,000 generals. Just generals. Compare that to the US, with a standing military at least four times larger, that has 1,500 generals. Add to the the apparent fact that half, or more, of these 3,000 generals are millionaires stashing most of their money overseas. And may I add here that the strong baht they have manipulated allows them to buy more with their overseas money (i.e. a strong baht did not happen by accident). Now, the next question is how are they accruing this wealth. Back in the day, the old guys, top of today's hierarchy, made their money skimming off US weapons sales during the Vietnam war. Today, the rate is the same, or maybe a little more, than in the commercial sector - which is around 30% pork on top of the real cost of goods. This also helps explain the outrageous military hardware spending spree of the last five years. Buying military hardware and taking 30% off the top is the EASIEST way for them to amass wealth.

[Raymonddiaz]

3 hours ago, ChipButty said:

My guess there is a bullet with his name on it somewhere

Hope not