Thai Military Reshuffle List Finally Ready: Defence Spokesman

[webfact]

Military reshuffle list finally ready, Defence spokesman says

By The Nation

The military reshuffle list has been completed, satisfying the requirements of both the armed forces and the government, Defence spokesman Maj-General Thanathip Sawangsaeng said yesterday.

"Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha and military commanders are happy about the job rotations," he said, denying rumours about a rift between the government and the military.

Thanathip said there was no government interference and the new job assignments had been done in accordance with the existing rules and regulations.

Initially, on September 1, Yuthasak and the commanders reached a consensus on the annual reallocations and proposed that General Kanit Sapitak be moved from his current post of chief adviser to the defence minister to that of deputy supreme commander.

Even though Kanit's current position had been created on an ad hoc basis, the military suggested the government retain this position so it can be used to give someone a promotion.

The military then immediately had General Puchong Rattanawan, commander of the National Defence Studies Institute, replace Kanit - a move that many said was tantamount to filling the position even before the government decided to retain the post.

The reshuffle list and the military's request to keep the post open were submitted for royal endorsement via Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra two weeks ago. However, the royal endorsement was put on hold pending review of the post.

Government House officials said that though former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was disappointed he could not step in and dispense favours due to new military regulations being put in effect after the 2006 coup, he did not object to the new military line-up.

However, Thaksin is urging the government to do away with the post that Kanit was holding and many observers see this as a strong signal to rein in military commanders, especially Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha. In other words, the bottomline is that top commanders should be mindful that the government could remove them if they act out of turn.

With the request to keep the position open still being reviewed, many people are speculating that the military rotations might be amended due to two rival candidates, General Sathien Permthong-in and General Wittawat Ratchatanan,

Sathien and Wittawat both went to pre-cadet school with Thaksin, are reportedly close friends and are said to have ended their friendly race with an amicable arrangement. Wittawat is slated to become permanent secretary for Defence, with Sathien taking over the position of Defence inspector.

Last week, Yingluck finalised her decision to turn down the military's request to keep Kanit's former position open and on Monday, Government House sent the reshuffle list back for revision.

Yesterday, the military decided to not move Kanit, while Puchong, who was previously meant to take over, will become deputy supreme commander.

The latest reshuffle list should be handed in for royal approval this week.

-- The Nation 2011-09-23

[Pib]

I think most people would agree that frequent rotation (say every year or less or maybe every 18 months or less) of senior leadership in any organization creates turmoil, employees laying low for months until they can get a feel for the new boss, etc. In some military assignments, like tours to remote locations (crappy assignments), rotations every 12 months is the norm, but when you are rotating senior leadership every 12 months(whether a great assignment or bad assignment), it just seems it may create in-efficiently/turmoil versus efficiently/stability. But hey, frequent rotations is great for building a resume of job assignments and getting more ribbons/medals for the uniform.....looks good in pictures.

[JAG]

I think most people would agree that frequent rotation (say every year or less or maybe every 18 months or less) of senior leadership in any organization creates turmoil, employees laying low for months until they can get a feel for the new boss, etc. In some military assignments, like tours to remote locations (crappy assignments), rotations every 12 months is the norm, but when you are rotating senior leadership every 12 months(whether a great assignment or bad assignment), it just seems it may create in-efficiently/turmoil versus efficiently/stability. But hey, frequent rotations is great for building a resume of job assignments and getting more ribbons/medals for the uniform.....looks good in pictures.

Since most of the jobs are non jobs, in any meaningful military sense, I don't suppose it really matters.One Golf Course is much like another, just a different bunch of conscripts to water the greens!

[rubl]

Government House officials said that though former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was disappointed he could not step in and dispense favours due to new military regulations being put in effect after the 2006 coup, he did not object to the new military line-up.

However, Thaksin is urging the government to do away with the post that Kanit was holding and many observers see this as a strong signal to rein in military commanders, especially Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha. In other words, the bottomline is that top commanders should be mindful that the government could remove them if they act out of turn.

Well, from another topic we know k. Thaksin phoned-in. To offer support and advise only, of course. Obvious everybody knows PM Yingluck is in charge. That should not need to be confirmed, obvious as it is.

Where are the democracy lovers, who keep on saying theNation writes drivel when discussing truth, press freedom and justice in general? A fugitive criminal as de facto PM?

"Now THaksin, oh Thaksin, show us the sign

Your children have waited to see

The morning will come when the world is mine

Tomorrow belongs

Tomorrow belongs

Tomorrow belongs to me!"

[JAG]

You know Rubl, although I would guess that our views on politics in Thailand are about as diverging as is possible. I have always rather thought that you were one of the few on this forum who were prepared to acknowledge that there can be other points of view.

But this business of taking what has become acknowledged as the youth anthem of the Third Reich, with all the evil which that implies, and applying it to Thaksin and by implication any who support him is the worst sort of hyperbole.

I don't know your age, but as a Dutchman you must at least have relatives who lived under Nazi Rule. Think The Holocaust, Anne Frank, The Hunger Winter; is that really what you mean?

[Bagwan]

You know Rubl, although I would guess that our views on politics in Thailand are about as diverging as is possible. I have always rather thought that you were one of the few on this forum who were prepared to acknowledge that there can be other points of view.

But this business of taking what has become acknowledged as the youth anthem of the Third Reich, with all the evil which that implies, and applying it to Thaksin and by implication any who support him is the worst sort of hyperbole.

I don't know your age, but as a Dutchman you must at least have relatives who lived under Nazi Rule. Think The Holocaust, Anne Frank, The Hunger Winter; is that really what you mean?

Maybe as an intelligent Dutchman he is also aware of Tak Bai and the elimination of those unfriendly to BiB under guise of dispensing justice to so called drug traders. Thais are as brain washed and exploited as the German peoples were.

[Bagwan]

How I love this annual game of musical Major Generals.

A more sensible routine would be to give somebody a year into the job to get to grips with it, another year to perform and make enhancements and improvements and then another year to identify a suitable job further up the tree (if appropriate) and to find a suitable replacement.

My guesstimate is that everybody above the rank of Major has reached their level of incompetence.

[hammered]

So the army got what they wanted minus permananent sec of defence which the government got and one position was wiped out.

[Roadman]

However, Thaksin is urging the government to do away with the post that Kanit was holding and many observers see this as a strong signal to rein in military commanders, especially Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha. In other words, the bottomline is that top commanders should be mindful that the government could remove them if they act out of turn.

This bit I love. Did it not occur to the writer that the Army will remove the governrment if they act out of turn.

Pleased to see that the fugitive convict is p1ssed that he did not get his way with the apointments. Let that be a warning to him.

[rogerdee123]

However, Thaksin is urging the government to do away with the post that Kanit was holding and many observers see this as a strong signal to rein in military commanders, especially Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha. In other words, the bottomline is that top commanders should be mindful that the government could remove them if they act out of turn.

This bit I love. Did it not occur to the writer that the Army will remove the governrment if they act out of turn.

Pleased to see that the fugitive convict is p1ssed that he did not get his way with the apointments. Let that be a warning to him.

yes agreed .... it seems to me that Thaksin's attempt to manipulate the military reshuffle by putting his people at the top was one of the key issues that touched off the coup of five years ago.