Thai Defence minister visits China
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Oct 30 -- Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon is visiting China to prepare for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's trip there, while former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, also in China, has delayed her return to Thailand.

Defence Ministry spokesman Col Khongcheep Tantrawanit said that Gen Prawit's delegation began its visit to China on Tuesday through tomorrow.

The minister was scheduled to meet Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan and is expected to convince China to buy more Thai farm products apart from working out Gen Prayut's upcoming visit to China.

The visit is taking place at the same time that former prime ministers Yingluck and Thaksin Shinawatra are also in China.

Somkid Jatusripitak, a member of the National Council for Peace and Order, has joined Gen Prawit's delegation on the trip.

Army spokesman Col Winthai Suvari said Ms Yingluck postponed her return to Thailand from Oct 26 to an undisclosed later date.

Yesterday Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and Vice Chinese Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin co-chaired the 8th ASEAN-China Senior Officials' Meeting on Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (ASEAN-China SOM on DOC) at Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok.

Mr Sihasak said both sides supported cooperation at senior official level and working groups and China realized the importance of the ASEAN-China Joint Working Group.

In addition, the meeting agreed with operating a hotline for emergencies at sea and plans for command-based search and rescue exercises. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-10-30

From the looks of him he should fit in well there.

Am I missing something, the Thai Defence Minister is to meet his Chinese counterpart to convince him to buy more Thai farm products ?

Is this code for some form of secret weaponry ?

Can we hope for Yingluck to stay with her ancestors??

Then this day will be renamed to Good-Thursday!!

Thailand, Chinese colony!

Not only did General Prawit discuss farm products, but in the 3 day trip he also arranged for China to build a railway in Thailand, all the while preparing for the PM to come over.

This guy is super human!

The next thing we'll hear is the planned Panda Red military exercises with the Thai and Chinese military. I don't think the USA or the Philippines will be invited.

The Thai military treads a narrow path when it tries to woo China , China knows a weak duckling when it see's one , the underhanded moves that China makes will need to be watched like a Hawk , it is right up China's alley to get a foot in the door in Sth East Asia and what better place than meek old Thailand and it has been noticed the pressure has been slowly increasing from China , since the Coup and the supposedly fall out with US.

The Thai military treads a narrow path when it tries to woo China , China knows a weak duckling when it see's one , the underhanded moves that China makes will need to be watched like a Hawk , it is right up China's alley to get a foot in the door in Sth East Asia and what better place than meek old Thailand and it has been noticed the pressure has been slowly increasing from China , since the Coup and the supposedly fall out with US.

I would think, if Thai history holds any lesson for us, Thailand will be approaching dealing with China and the U.S. as she has tried to do many times in the past with conflicting interested parties. Play both sides to try and maintain balance. China increasingly looking for materials for her population, including the securing of transport routes. We will have to see what happens when faced with calls to support other nations wanting to restrain Chinese claims to the South China Sea, for example. A new consideration will be ASEAN membership as Thailand might well be expected to agree with other members. Or, of course, that body may well not take international political stances (not sure about this as some ASEAN nations are already involved with S. China Sea conflict).

Field Marshal Prawit was CiC of the RTA for a year or so. He was also Defence Minister for P.M. Abhisit, and he was one of the major sponsors of the PDRC. I think he expected to be named Grand Poobah. He is the current Capo di tutti i capi of the Burapha Phayak faction, which is dominating the RTA and the Kingdom, much to the chagrin of the Wong Thewan faction. Hence Field Marshal Prayut's concern about "dark forces", aka a counter-coup.

They should learn to share, like they do with the two Buddhist sects alternating top monk.