Has the Pheu Thai-led government put military reform on the back burner?

[webfact]

The coalition government led by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has come under fire from the opposition, which is accused it of lacking a strong commitment to pursue military reform following a slight hike in the defense budget for fiscal year 2024.

 

Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang told Parliament during the three-day debate on the budget bill earlier this month that he had not given up on the mission to modernize and downsize the armed forces and pledged to achieve it by all means.

 

“I’m not in this position to compromise with or please the military, but I need more time and an effective tactic to do so,” he said.

The opposition Move Forward Party lashed out at the government’s defense budget, saying it was incapable of making any change in the military.

 

“With such a budget arrangement, I wonder whether the armed forces would be able to reshape themselves,” the party’s MP, Akkarat Udomamnuay, said.

 

Under the first civilian minister in a decade, the Defense Ministry proposed a budget of 198.3 billion baht for the military for fiscal 2024, up 2 per cent from 194.4 billion baht allocated by the military-backed government under General Prayut Chan-o-cha last year.

 

File photo : Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang//AP

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-01-15

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[Ben Zioner]

That was the deal, wasn't ? Khun Thaksin.

[jayboy]

It is for the elected civilian government to determine the armed forces' mission.The armed forces may obviously make a case for its desired budget but ultimately it is their duty to accept the governments' decisions.

[Ben Zioner]

13 minutes ago, jayboy said:

It is for the elected civilian government

Unelected

[zzaa09]

Ah.......because there was never any real intent to reform such matters - regardless of the occasional novelty civilian government in place. Just surface rhetoric.

As there is an unspoken tradition or practice that is forbidden/disallowed to be usurped. 

 

The way things work here.

It is what it is. 

[reefsurfah]

PT will always be the buffer between MF and military. Just politics.

[Bday Prang]

or rather  have they put "an attempt" at military reform on the backburner,   Try it and see what happens

[madmitch]

That was the deal before teaming up with the pro-military parties to form the Government. No chance of meaningful reform under the present coalition.

[jayboy]

52 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

Unelected

Well there is that

[Thingamabob]

The deal with Thaksin is that the military allowed him to re-enter Thailand so long as he co-operates with them.

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

The coalition government led by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has come under fire from the opposition, which is accused it of lacking a strong commitment to pursue military reform following a slight hike in the defense budget for fiscal year 2024

It was never going to reduce the military, either in numbers or budget.

Thailand could halve the military and use those billions to aid the nation.

[crazykopite]

 Of  course they have any intelligent  Person would of realised this deal was done prior  to forming a government I’m eagerly awaiting to see what deal was done for the unelected senators when there time is up in March 

[brianthainess]

16 hours ago, jayboy said:

It is for the elected civilian government to determine the armed forces' mission.The armed forces may obviously make a case for its desired budget but ultimately it is their duty to accept the governments' decisions.

That has a military senate 

[jayboy]

17 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

That has a military senate 

 

Well there is that

[mfd101]

The only way you can reform ANY bureaucracy - civilian or military - is by REDUCING their budget ie squeeze where it hurts.

 

They hate it, but it works. But to do that, a government has to be strong, competent and confident ...

[newbee2022]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

The coalition government led by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has come under fire from the opposition, which is accused it of lacking a strong commitment to pursue military reform following a slight hike in the defense budget for fiscal year 2024.

 

Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang told Parliament during the three-day debate on the budget bill earlier this month that he had not given up on the mission to modernize and downsize the armed forces and pledged to achieve it by all means.

 

“I’m not in this position to compromise with or please the military, but I need more time and an effective tactic to do so,” he said.

The opposition Move Forward Party lashed out at the government’s defense budget, saying it was incapable of making any change in the military.

 

“With such a budget arrangement, I wonder whether the armed forces would be able to reshape themselves,” the party’s MP, Akkarat Udomamnuay, said.

 

Under the first civilian minister in a decade, the Defense Ministry proposed a budget of 198.3 billion baht for the military for fiscal 2024, up 2 per cent from 194.4 billion baht allocated by the military-backed government under General Prayut Chan-o-cha last year.

 

File photo : Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang//AP

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-01-15

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

Hmmh, did the Chinese increase the price for the new subs? Or are there more envelopes to be filled?

[mikebell]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

It was never going to reduce the military, either in numbers or budget.

Thailand could halve the military and use those billions to aid the nation.

They could halve the (bloated) number of (bloated) generals but this would leave them short in the nodding-dog senate.

[Srikcir]

"Has the Pheu Thai-led government put military reform on the back burner?"

The answer was apparent almost immediately after "election" of Thavisin in September 2023.

Yes.

"Opinion: Thailand's new government falling short on military reform," https://www.thaienquirer.com

• "However, the turn of events post-election suggests that the winds of change may just be empty rhetoric - a devastating betrayal for a nation that has long sought substantial reform in its military apparatus."  
• "As it stands, Srettha and his government need to decide whether they will be agents of meaningful change or just another disappointing chapter in Thailand's complex relationship with democracy and military power,"

[herfiehandbag]

1 hour ago, crazykopite said:

 Of  course they have any intelligent  Person would of realised this deal was done prior  to forming a government I’m eagerly awaiting to see what deal was done for the unelected senators when there time is up in March 

Yes, I was wondering - two months out and not a whisper. I would bet the farm that in a years time the same people will be in the same seats 

[jayboy]

11 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

"Has the Pheu Thai-led government put military reform on the back burner?"

The answer was apparent almost immediately after "election" of Thavisin in September 2023.

Yes.

"Opinion: Thailand's new government falling short on military reform," https://www.thaienquirer.com

• "However, the turn of events post-election suggests that the winds of change may just be empty rhetoric - a devastating betrayal for a nation that has long sought substantial reform in its military apparatus."  
• "As it stands, Srettha and his government need to decide whether they will be agents of meaningful change or just another disappointing chapter in Thailand's complex relationship with democracy and military power,"

 

How can genuine reform be implemented if the military threatens a coup or actually undertakes one?

 

In practice I fear it will require some cataclysmic defiance by the people with hundreds of thousands in the streets prepared to risk their lives.I don't think there is the stomach for this (yet). The Thai military is arrogant, oversized and corrupt but not brutal in the way of Myanmar -I don't think it is hated.

 

So evolution is the way, very frustrating.Perhaps sense will come when the oligarchs and feudalists tire of supporting the oversized and expensive military behemoth.

 

 

[Srikcir]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

the Defense Ministry proposed a budget of 198.3 billion baht for the military for fiscal 2024, up 2 per cent from 194.4 billion baht allocated by the military-backed government under General Prayut Chan-o-cha last year.

The 2% increase may be deceptively low. In recent years (PM Prayut tenure?) the military has used small down-payments and long term installment plans for foreign military arms acquisitions. 

Paradoxically, the 2023 draft budget bill proposed a 2% cut compared with the 2022 defense budget. 

March 24, 2022 https://www.janes.com

• While the pandemic may have forced an overall budget reduction, the Ministry of Defence's research and development agency the Defense Technology Institute 2023 budget was increased by 21%. DTI projects include acquisition of military hardware. (Paraphrasing)

Acquisition of foreign military hardware by the thai military appears typically done with upfront down-payments and long term installment payments; the latter becomes obligated by subsequent annual budget requests and not reviewable. The aforementioned 2% cut for 2024 seems dubious at best.

The 2024 military budget increase appears in practice to be much higher when considering obligated budget carryovers. 

 

 

 

 

 

[brianthainess]

3 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

The deal with Thaksin is that the military allowed him to re-enter Thailand so long as he co-operates with them.

Maybe you are right, as it was him that reduced their budget before the Coup. They obviously didn't like that idea and got rid of him, as soon as they could.

There are also reports about coups and who helped them, but I can't say here or I would be banned......