An abolition of conscription will mean more inequality : Nipit

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, Burma Bill said:

Good comment. I was thinking along the same lines with the generals and other senior officers losing their "bag carriers", shoe shine boys, gardeners etc. etc.

Had one Navy admiral living in my condo with his Thai wife and their kids. His condo occupied half of one floor of the building. The Thai wife was a seriously angry dragon.

 

They had 3 young naval boys (at least 1 was a conscript) living in as servants, cleaners, laundry and car washers, shopping assistants, drivers to take the kids to school and pick them up, etc., plus a navy cook living in. All were forbidden to leave the condo etc., without permission from the wife and she made sure they stayed within her grasp.

 

The wife had quite some track record of serious abuse and violence towards the navy boys and had no hesitation to abuse them in front of other condo owners / residents etc. 

[Mr Meeseeks]

3 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

An old Ozzie friend worked for a Japanese oil & gas company in Bangkok. One of the reasons that they gave for pulling out of Thailand was having to deal with military men who didn't have the faintest-clue about what their business was in Thailand.

This is a frustration in many industries here. When i was working offshore as an ops manager I had to attend meetings with clients to explain the company’s scope of services as the Chairman, other top management and the sales and marketing team didn’t know. They would always go to the meetings though as they wanted to show they were the bosses and I couldn't help but feel their resentment as they were woefully out of their depth. 
 

I remember the Chairman lecturing me that he could always learn about oil and gas. A total buffoon. 

 

I ended up winning the biggest contract they ever got and they proceeded to do everything to undermine me and mess it up because, presumably, they didn't want to do the extra work. 
 

Thai generals (Police and Military) have next to no business acumen whatsoever. 

[Scott Tracy]

There are no women conscriptees, for one....

 

Equality, what's that? How many women MPs, senators governors....

[Frankie baby]

I was looking forward to my lad getting kicked out of bed in the morning with a decent sized boot in stead of a soft little shake telling him his coffees ready.

Right now he goes to college but as already been given the choice of being some sort of college guard as a preference to the army conscription. 

[VocalNeal]

Excellence should be based on results not quotas ????

[Jackbenimble]

8 hours ago, 2baht said:

Will the Generals wife have to wash her own car??? Heaven forbid!

what do you think? 

[Jackbenimble]

26 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Had one Navy admiral living in my condo with his Thai wife and their kids. His condo occupied half of one floor of the building. The Thai wife was a seriously angry dragon.

 

They had 3 young naval boys (at least 1 was a conscript) living in as servants, cleaners, laundry and car washers, shopping assistants, drivers to take the kids to school and pick them up, etc., plus a navy cook living in. All were forbidden to leave the condo etc., without permission from the wife and she made sure they stayed within her grasp.

 

The wife had quite some track record of serious abuse and violence towards the navy boys and had no hesitation to abuse them in front of other condo owners / residents etc. 

this is the the old school way of employing domestic staff and is still practiced in certain quarters. Times are changing though sadly not fast enough for this self-entitled harpy to be brought to book. It is only a handful who mistreat their staff now though.  

[VocalNeal]

Has anyone mentioned that conscripts get about 9,000 Baht a month salary but many are offered the opportunity to return home with no salary.????

 

You guys can figure out where the salary goes.

[Sydebolle]

What was Nipit Intarasombut's rank in the military - if at all?

[herfiehandbag]

5 hours ago, h90 said:

There was this discussion with Abhisit, that he did not have to do the regular military as he studied......Your son has to do the normal military in the dirt or some better thing?

I think Abhisit was exempted as he had completed the Cadet Force program at secondary school.

 

This meant that he held a commission as a reserve Second Lieutenant!

 

Thailand has lots and lots of these reserve Lieutenants. As their training at school is pretty basic, and subsequently non existent, they are, in military terms, useless.

[Snig27]

8 hours ago, dinsdale said:

I have to agree with this comment. Those who are forced into military service have as much right to die in conflict as those who volunteered for military service.

Thai military is not particularly good at the actual combat bit history shows. 

[wealthychef]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

If anything is certain, it is that the power and wealth of the Thai army needs to be diminished, in order for the nation to prosper. They are like a vacuum, sucking the blood and treasury from society. A vampire group.

Agreed, and this I think applies to every country in the world, especially my home, the US.  

[Pink Mist]

A troll post has been removed 

[waders123]

Politicians and/or people in prominent positions that make these outlandish claims should be held accountable and required to show proof to back up their remarks prior to releasing these statements to the public.  Just to say it is true, doesn't necessarily make it true.   Stop spreading gibberish and fake news; it does nothing positive for the country or the people.

[Bim Smith]

All those in prison on violent offence should automatically go in the army. Do away with the insane lottery conscription

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, Bim Smith said:

All those in prison on violent offence should automatically go in the army. Do away with the insane lottery conscription

Would you like to try to command this 'gang of violent offenders' through proper/real military training and in the combat field.?

 

I recall an incident where one such conscript who was uncontrollable (contrinuously refused to comply with basic orders), extremely violent to other recruits and even more violent to the training NCOs and had damaged property was discharged and quickly. 

[smedly]

what on earth is this ## going on about, another pile of nonsense just to be heard saying something - better to just remain silent

[herfiehandbag]

On 5/30/2023 at 10:29 AM, Andrew65 said:

An old Ozzie friend worked for a Japanese oil & gas company in Bangkok. One of the reasons that they gave for pulling out of Thailand was having to deal with military men who didn't have the faintest-clue about what their business was in Thailand.

Almost certainly not conscripted squaddies, but senior officers interfering.

 

The number of officers serving on boards of directors of various civilian companies is legion - I mean, obviously a medical technology manufacturer has a pressing need for an experienced artillery man!

[BangkokReady]

So, he's saying that only poor people will join the army, so if we see a soldier we will know he is from a poor family, and that is inequality, and that's bad?

 

Have I got that right?

 

Quote

 

Nipit claimed that, if the cancellation of conscription is done immediately, no children from rich families will voluntarily apply for military service, but those from poor families certainly would, attracted by the salaries.

 

He noted that, in 2006, only nine of Princeton University’s 1,108 graduates from applied to join the military. This low number was echoed at other leading US universities, adding that only 2 per cent of Congress members in the US, a country where conscription ended in 1973, have children serving in the military.

 

“If immediate revocation of conscription is introduced in Thailand, which has a higher level of inequality than the US, only the poor’s children and those who have no choice will apply to be soldiers,” Nipit wrote.

 

He said, if Pita insists on doing it immediately, he has to accept that, from then on, when we see soldiers, they would be the children of the poor, not of the rich.

 

 

[dallen52]

No more washing cars and doing gardening for the big boys.

No more confiscated id cards and the grown ups keeping the 6000 baht monthly pays.

And sending them home. 

My partners son did five months out of two years. 

His friend was found dead in the kitchen for going AWOL. 

Petchabun..

 

Time for changes

[herfiehandbag]

On 5/30/2023 at 9:29 AM, crazykopite said:

Having spent more than 22 years in the U.K. military which during that time spending several years assigned to US Forces in the USA as well as serving  with Allied Forces Central Europe unfortunately I had a number of my subordinates Dutch mainly who were conscripted soldiers and I would say 70% didn’t want to be soldiers they were my worst nightmare turning up late for parade refusing to do work assigned to them by doing this they were hoping that they would be kicked out problem was that those personnel who had joined up on there own free will were caught in the middle .If your going to hall conscription it has to be done in one foul swoop not dries and drabs and let’s face it Thailand has not experienced a major conflict just skirmishes with borders Cambodia comes to Mind . By eliminating conscription you end up with a more professional military due to those who want to be a part of the organisation rather than those who detest the idea and picking by straws as apparently happens here in Thailand is absurd if your going to have conscription it has to be for everyone regardless. . By abolishing conscription Thailand will have a far more disciplined and professional military be it Army , Navy or Airforce 

In principle I agree that without conscription an Army is likely to be more disciplined and professional.

 

Like you I served for a long time in the British Army. As part of my long and not particularly glorious career I spent some time with a small unit drawn from various European nations. Before anyone gets too excited it was not "Special Forces", very ordinary soldier me!

 

It was run by the French, (I am a French speaker) and we had a couple of Dutch conscripts (also French speakers). True to say that they were not amongst the most enthusiastic of soldiers - but I remember one of them explaining that the main reason they were so bloody minded was that they were looked down on and didn't feel valued by their NCOs and Officers.

 

Handled carefully they were fine, and on the odd occasion when we went into possibly hostile places I never had any concerns about them "covering my back".

 

Their ration packs had excellent coffee, and remarkably good (Indonesian) curry.

 

From time to time, when circumstances allowed I would share a few beers with my "team", British, French, Danes and Dutch, (the Danes were conscripts too) - and never any problems.

 

I called them "Stoter" XYZ (Private), or "Konstabel" (the Danes), they called me sir. Never any problems.

Edited May 31, 2023 by herfiehandbag

[The Fugitive]

Some time ago (in UK) a local guy proudly went around showing people his discharge letter from National Service. It said; 'We can find no purpose for this man'. He could read because he selected horses each day and wrote out a betting slip. That was the only thing he did during his life. He walked between his home and the local betting shop. Never had a job. I guess there are limits. 

[billd766]

On 5/30/2023 at 9:30 AM, sidneybear said:

Conscription is a good thing, as it instills discipline, patriotism and respect. I hope they don't get rid of it, or if they do get rid of it they bring it back once this lot of progressives gets kicked out. 

Have you ever been in the military, even as a conscript?

[billd766]

On 5/30/2023 at 11:38 AM, scorecard said:

Kids can do 'military' service at high school, a couple of hours a week and 1 or 2 easy camps (2 or 3 days) a year. Over several years this produces a certificate which gives them exemption from conscription.

 

Stydying at uni doesn't automatically bring exemption. 

 

At least you have a good idea what you are talking about.

 

My son did that in his last 3 years at high school. It was his choice and a good choice as well

[billd766]

On 5/30/2023 at 1:20 PM, PETERTHEEATER said:

A wooden submarine.....now there's a thought.....????

Well you can but a plastic model of an F 35 on Lazada.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/tag/f-35-model-kit/?exlaz=d_1:mm_150050845_51350204_2010350204::13:12361258253!116250847885!!!dsa-19959388920!c!!!!593083946049!&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4NujBhC5ARIsAF4Iv6dyIU7pHXdwdV6GfgRuqJgUQSLoh-l_LaJAc0Vglp-S1RkI3hw1Cy0aAiLoEALw_wcB

[sidneybear]

18 hours ago, billd766 said:

Have you ever been in the military, even as a conscript?

Yes