Army's recruitment drive flops: Only 4,805 apply out of 10K target

 

Picture: Daily News

 

The Thai army set a target of 10,000 new recruits for a recruitment drive conducted mostly online last month.

 

But only 4,805 people applied, admitted deputy army spokeswoman Sirijan Ngathong yesterday.

 

Recruitment was split into two groups, reported Daily News, namely 18-20 year olds and those aged 22-29. 

 

It was not explained why 21 year old were not part of the intake.

 

Sirijan said that 80% of the applicants were aged 18-20 and most had applied online.

 

Region 1 had 1,157 applicants, rehion 2 1,627, region 3 815 and region 4 1,206. 

 

Only 20 applied for officer training. 

 

The online and registration at recruitment centers ran from the 1st to the 28th of February and meant that only 48% of the target had been reached.

 

What to do next will be discussed later this week. 

 

Source: Daily News

 

 

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You call almost 50% of the volunteer's goal a flop for the first attempt at something.  Wow.  If I had a goal of 1 million dollars to be donated and only raised 50% I would be happy with what I had and go for a second round.

I read somewhere that over 100,000 of Thailand's Armed Forces are conscripts. Small wonder those in charge of conscription want it to continue as the number of volunteers would indicate they'd have a real problem maintaining the numbers should it be stopped.

Perhaps if Thailand got rid of at least 75% of the generals, and turned themselves into a proper professional army, that would be just stage 1.

 

They would need to pay a good working salary, give  good skills training, give proper career paths and good promotion prospects, that would be stage 2.

 

Promotion based on skills and merit ONLY, got rid of all the useless dead wood cluttering up the army. That would be stage 3.

 

Keep politicians away from the army and the army away from politics would be stage 4.

 

ANY attempts at sedition or yet another military coup to be treated as treason, leading to execution of ALL the officers involved from the top down to perhaps the rank of captain, and enforce it would be stage 5. 

 

Sadly, in Thailand it would not get as far as stage 1. 

too many "chiefs" (generals) and not enough "indians" (soldiers).... and I thought the majority of Thais wanted to be part of Prayut's team and get their monthly rewards

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

You call almost 50% of the volunteer's goal a flop for the first attempt at something.  Wow.  If I had a goal of 1 million dollars to be donated and only raised 50% I would be happy with what I had and go for a second round.

But it is not about money it is about soldiers that are needed. Yes it is a flop and like many other countries that are struggling to recruit soldiers in this modern world.

3 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

But it is not about money it is about soldiers that are needed. Yes it is a flop and like many other countries that are struggling to recruit soldiers in this modern world.

So then complete a second round of registrations and open up recruitment centers like in the west.  To say it went pear shaped is a little bit dramatic in my book.

Just now, ThailandRyan said:

So then complete a second round of registrations and open up recruitment centers like in the west.  To say it went pear shaped is a little bit dramatic in my book.

Yes open it up again and make the target wider. You sound like your aplogising for it. As I said, many countries are having the same issue.

Not so many want to be humiliated, enjoying initiation rites?

Dog walking (knee slipping) naked hanging on to the private parts of your man in front?

They miss so much fun.

54 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Perhaps if Thailand got rid of at least 75% of the generals, and turned themselves into a proper professional army, that would be just stage 1.

 

 

To what end? Who are they going to invade? Who is going to invade them? The fact is of their neighbors who are powerful enough to invade them (China and Vietnam, basically), Thailand couldn't stop them no matter how professional they made themselves. As for the rest (Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia) none is a threat or capable of invading against what Thailand already has. The army doesn't need to be made professional. It needs to be scaled down and its resources applied elsewhere.

The army want compulsory conscription as they are sent many soldiers who would prefer to stay at home. That way those who want to stay at home can go home and the generals, other ranks above that get to keep that conscripts allowance.

 

Those who join up willingly are unlikely to accept going home.

9 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

Yes open it up again and make the target wider. You sound like your aplogising for it. As I said, many countries are having the same issue.

Not apologizing for it, just making a statement as to the hypocrisy that the drive flopped, when in all actuality it was semi successful.

Maybe they don't want to be in any way responsible for beating the public up

No appetite for shifting shipping containers around Bangkok is one theory ????  

Is it remotely possible that people are just plain fed up with the army?

With sub's on order you'd think they'd be looking for submariners .. 

outside of Prawit's personal collection that is .. 

It's not more soldiers that they need.  It's more sailors. Or to be more precise, submariners. 

3 hours ago, billd766 said:

Perhaps if Thailand got rid of at least 75% of the generals, and turned themselves into a proper professional army, that would be just stage 1.

 

They would need to pay a good working salary, give  good skills training, give proper career paths and good promotion prospects, that would be stage 2.

 

Promotion based on skills and merit ONLY, got rid of all the useless dead wood cluttering up the army. That would be stage 3.

 

Keep politicians away from the army and the army away from politics would be stage 4.

 

ANY attempts at sedition or yet another military coup to be treated as treason, leading to execution of ALL the officers involved from the top down to perhaps the rank of captain, and enforce it would be stage 5. 

 

Sadly, in Thailand it would not get as far as stage 1. 

Good idea although I would add that politics needs cleaning up as well.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

But only 4,805 people applied

4,800 more than I expected.

4 hours ago, billd766 said:

Perhaps if Thailand got rid of at least 75% of the generals, and turned themselves into a proper professional army, that would be just stage 1.

 

They would need to pay a good working salary, give  good skills training, give proper career paths and good promotion prospects, that would be stage 2.

 

Promotion based on skills and merit ONLY, got rid of all the useless dead wood cluttering up the army. That would be stage 3.

 

Keep politicians away from the army and the army away from politics would be stage 4.

 

ANY attempts at sedition or yet another military coup to be treated as treason, leading to execution of ALL the officers involved from the top down to perhaps the rank of captain, and enforce it would be stage 5. 

 

Sadly, in Thailand it would not get as far as stage 1. 

Stage 1, Solly  no untersand

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The online and registration at recruitment centers ran from the 1st to the 28th of February and meant that only 48% of the target had been reached.

 

What to do next will be discussed later this week. 

They could demote some of the useless generals?

31 minutes ago, kimamey said:

Good idea although I would add that politics needs cleaning up as well.

That should be number 1 priority, get that properly sorted and the armed forces fiasco would follow? 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Only 20 applied for officer training

 A very good sign - less Generals for the future!!

I remember some TV member recently asking if people though his son who has dual citizenship would manage to be exempt from the draft because he thought that 10K kids would volunteer due to the economic downturn.

Uh-Oh.  Guess not.  I recommended that his kid volunteer for the Air Force.  Better than being a IED or sniper target in the three southern-most Thai (Maylay) provinces. 

15 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Not apologizing for it, just making a statement as to the hypocrisy that the drive flopped, when in all actuality it was semi successful.

I think we will have to disagree on the word successful being used. In business you would want at least 75% or more to class it as successful.

 

Even the UK are struggling.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/09/british-army-recruitment-shortfalls-may-be-symptoms-of-changing-times

Offer additional incentives.

 

Pluck "candidates" from jail/prisons/judicial system

 

Anything is better than that annual lottery draw. What a fisaco.

 

 

22 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

So then complete a second round of registrations and open up recruitment centers like in the west.  To say it went pear shaped is a little bit dramatic in my book.

48% is a good showing for the first try.

22 hours ago, Laughing Gravy said:

But it is not about money it is about soldiers that are needed. Yes it is a flop and like many other countries that are struggling to recruit soldiers in this modern world.

 

young people are not too keen anymore killing each other for rich people. the information age changes everything. 

 

this planet has no need for soldier's preparing for war anymore. time to move past this caveman mentality. 

1 hour ago, mr mr said:

 

young people are not too keen anymore killing each other for rich people. the information age changes everything. 

 

this planet has no need for soldier's preparing for war anymore. time to move past this caveman mentality. 

You make a very liberal point and as i get older I can see what you mean. But as an ex soldier there are still things that people believe in fighting for, instead of bending over and taking it.

 

This forums country would be one example as people just let the same trash happen again and again.

9 hours ago, mr mr said:

 

young people are not too keen anymore killing each other for rich people. the information age changes everything. 

 

this planet has no need for soldier's preparing for war anymore. time to move past this caveman mentality. 

Try telling that to Russia, China, N Korea, USA, UK, EU, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Syria and all the other rag tag and bobtail countries and see what response you get.