PM speculates new army chief is one of army’s 5 core figures

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont says the military is considering a new Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army, adding that the most suitable person is one of the army’s five core figures.

The new army chief will replace Gen.Surayud Boonyaratglin who will retire from the post in October. According to the military customs, the Supreme Commander, the Minister of Defence, and the Commanders-in-Chief of military forces will select together a new army chief from candidates nominated by the three military forces and the Defence Minister.

Gen.Surayud says he has very little power in selecting a new army chief nor a Defence Minister. Both positions have power to rule the military force and has direct mandate to select the most suitable person.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 23 June 2007

Gen.Surayud says he has very little power in selecting a new army chief nor a Defence Minister.

wot a load of crock ....

he's got NONE ,

who ever heard of employees appointing their bosses .

General Saprang is doing the junta no favours with his behaviour. He should realise that sitting on a board requires him to relinquish his military mindset where no questions are to be asked and he needs to reply to queries such as posed by Dr Yutipong whom Saprang fired for suggesting that TOT could not financially help with the army's request for 800 million baht's worth of listening devices.

Dr Yutipong, well respected in academic and middle class circles for his honesty and creative ideas, suggested Saprang submitted his claim using the army's budget rather than TOT thus provoking a furious response and sacking from Saprang.

If the junta want to maintain middle class support they need to start reining in loose cannons like this.

is saprang the favorite?

is saprang the favorite?

He may have been. He may still be. But even in relatively calm times this position is highly sought, higly lobbied for and can be highly unpredictable. Not something to gamble on thats for sure.

is saprang the favorite?

He may have been. He may still be. But even in relatively calm times this position is highly sought, higly lobbied for and can be highly unpredictable. Not something to gamble on thats for sure.

While what you say is true, if Saprang doesn't get it, keep your head down.

meaning?

I'm embarassed to admit that I didn't even realize that the military chooses it's own commander in chief. That explains a lot about how democracy is such a fragile commodity here. This is atask better left to civilian heads of government. Conversely, I always thought it strange that the civilian government conducted the "military reshuffle", which is a task better left to the military (assuming the civ. govt. has chosen appropriate leadership.

Gen.Surayud says he has very little power in selecting a new army chief nor a Defence Minister.

wot a load of crock ....

he's got NONE ,

who ever heard of employees appointing their bosses .

Ummmm quite often people in upper positions have a voice in who their REPLACEMENT when they retire is ......

point being ?