New Defence Minister Suthin Klangsaen Faces Challenges on Day One in Office

[webfact]

 

Defence Minister Suthin Klangsaen began his first day in charge of the ministry. Suthin is the sixth civilian to hold the position and the first to do so without concurrently serving as the prime minister.

 

Despite this being his inaugural day in office, he is already under pressure due to the government's commitments to replace mandatory military conscription with a voluntary system, reduce the army's size, especially the number of generals, and lower spending on weapons.

 

Regarding mandatory military conscription, the government said they would initiate the reduction of the number of conscripts, starting with the next round of conscription, until the process is fully replaced with a voluntary system. However, no specific timeline was provided, and the army was already planning to decrease the number of conscripts from 100,000 per year to 90,000 per year before the new government came to power.

 

Regarding the reduction of the army's size, the army is also already planning to reduce the number to 600 by 2027. Another plan is to decrease the number of military personnel by 4,000 by 2027. Between 2017 and 2021, 8,000 personnel were already cut, resulting in savings of approximately 1.5 billion baht in the budget.

 

Concerning the reduction in spending on weapons, Suthin surprised many people when he stated that the navy no longer desired the 13.5 billion baht Chinese-made submarine, and they would consider switching it for fertilizer. However, PM Srettha Thavisin is still planning to meet with German government officials at the UN summit to negotiate for the installation of a German engine in the submarine.

 

-- ASEAN NOW 2023-09-14

 

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[sungod]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

Regarding the reduction of the army's size, the army is also already planning to reduce the number to 600 by 2027. Another plan is to decrease the number of military personnel by 4,000 by 2027. Between 2017 and 2021, 8,000 personnel were already cut, resulting in savings of approximately 1.5 billion baht in the budget.

Who's cutting the grass and washing the Generals cars now?

[watchcat]

14 minutes ago, sungod said:

Who's cutting the grass and washing the Generals cars now?

Most of them have a wife, why not put her to good use instead of letting her sit around the house doing nothing.

[JoePai]

From the look on the matelots faces they are not impressed

[bamnutsak]

They've got to make volunteering much more attractive, or just use Convicts - there is no shortage of those.

 

Offer more pay, training, post service training and job opportunities.

 

And less hazing thereby not killing off the volunteers.

 

And half the conscripts can be replaced with Burmese maids to service the Generals households.

 

 

[2baht]

56 minutes ago, watchcat said:

Most of them have a wife, why not put her to good use instead of letting her sit around the house doing nothing.

You don't understand face do you?

[2baht]

Gravy stains, soldier? 

 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, watchcat said:

Most of them have a wife, why not put her to good use instead of letting her sit around the house doing nothing.

Out shopping for Gucci bags, far too busy 

[khunPer]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Regarding the reduction of the army's size, the army is also already planning to reduce the number to 600 by 2027.

I don't understand this sentence...????

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

 

Offer more pay, training, post service training and job opportunities.

1. Offer university tuition assistance, overseas postings, family PX privileges, quicker rank advancement.

2, Counter-intuitive, create higher standards for military enrollment to get the healthiest and smartest candidates. 

3. Review/revise military doctrine as relates to its military mission domestically and internationally. That might tie into the military's continuing role in domestic politics and demilitarizing the Southern Malay Muslim provinces.

[Srikcir]

15 minutes ago, khunPer said:

I don't understand this sentence...????

Retirements?

[PETERTHEEATER]

6 hours ago, sungod said:

Who's cutting the grass and washing the Generals cars now?

Thaksin, as part of a prisoner rehabilitation squad. The other option is the drain/sewer detail.

[Nicholas Paul KNIGHT]

First order of BUSINESS remind the Military, the public pay their wages so cut or be fired simple.

As for weapons, who the hell are they going to fight, a little down south and north anyone else will not bother. Submarines in shallow water, the crass stupidity of the Navy has yet to be acknowledged. a fleet of fast smaller ships more beneficial .

As for conscription do away with young men suffering the indignities' of being bullied by older men and forced to do menial tasks. 

[newnative]

     I certainly like the idea of reducing the Army's size to 600.  Sounds just about right to have 600 troops for a country never at war with anyone.   Unfortunately, I imagine they were actually talking about reducing the number of Generals to 600, from the current 1,700.  600 Generals still seems way too many.  1,700 of them is positively ridiculous.

[ericthai]

11 hours ago, newnative said:

     I certainly like the idea of reducing the Army's size to 600.  Sounds just about right to have 600 troops for a country never at war with anyone.   Unfortunately, I imagine they were actually talking about reducing the number of Generals to 600, from the current 1,700.  600 Generals still seems way too many.  1,700 of them is positively ridiculous.

Thailand doesn't get into wars, but they do get into battles from time to time with Cambodia... but I agree their military is way too big for what is really needed.

[mikebell]

22 hours ago, 2baht said:

Gravy stains, soldier? 

 

The Land of Smiles.

[2baht]

17 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Thaksin, as part of a prisoner rehabilitation squad. The other option is the drain/sewer detail.

The other option could be Dubai! ????

[huangnon]

5 hours ago, ericthai said:

Thailand doesn't get into wars, but they do get into battles from time to time with Cambodia...

Just pre-arranged 'skirmishes' on the border. Useful for raising jingoistic pride amongst the populace, and justifying massive 'defense' budgets.

[newnative]

15 hours ago, ericthai said:

Thailand doesn't get into wars, but they do get into battles from time to time with Cambodia... but I agree their military is way too big for what is really needed.

Those 1,700 Generals should be able to handle any border skirmishes.  555

[herfiehandbag]

On 9/14/2023 at 9:12 AM, JoePai said:

From the look on the matelots faces they are not impressed

They will be the ones stationed in Central Bangkok for the express purpose of providing "guards of honour".

 

Specially selected to look like miserable bastards...

 

Mind you to be fair, join the navy to go to sea, only to discover that the aircraft carrier only goes out once a year, the submarine has no engines and the surface ships are mostly broken - or sunk!

 

I would be pissed off as well!

Edited September 15, 2023 by herfiehandbag

[Poseidon]

A competent defence minister and or general would have done something about the terrorists in the south running amok. So completely useless he is 

[herfiehandbag]

9 hours ago, Poseidon said:

A competent defence minister and or general would have done something about the terrorists in the south running amok. So completely useless he is 

Whilst I have low expectations of him, (and even lower of his commanders!), it is fair to point out that he has only been in the job for two weeks.