Thai Army implementing 51 projects as new year gifts

[webfact]

Army implementing 51 projects as new year gifts

BANGKOK, 22 December 2014 (NNT)-The Ministry of Defense has organized a campaign dubbed ‘Happiness for Thais from the Army’ as a New Year gift for Thai people.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said after presiding over the opening ceremony yesterday that the campaign consisted of 3 major projects, under which 51 tasks would be completed.

The 51 tasks included increasing safety measures in major areas including the Deep South, career development, identifying water resources for drought stricken zones, medical services, entertainment and transportation developments, among others.

In addition, the military has under the same campaign begun cleaning up 395 religious places and communities around Thailand. The clean-up operation will last until December 26th. 260 tourist assistance spots will be set up both on land and in the water from December 27th- January 4th next year.

Around 103 military museums and 267 sufficiency knowledge centers will be open to visitors from December 31st – January 4th, 2015. Admission is free, said the General.


-- NNT 2014-12-22

[thesetat2013]

Excuse me for being stupid but i thought most of these free new years gifts are what a Gov is supposed to do normally?

Aside from the free admission to sufficiency ??? Centers ??? I am at loss

[Somtamnication]

Who cares. Doesn't involve farangs.

[NongKhaiKid]

Excuse me for being stupid but i thought most of these free new years gifts are what a Gov is supposed to do normally?

Aside from the free admission to sufficiency ??? Centers ??? I am at loss

Absolutely no shame claiming normal infrastructure projects to be gifts.

Smacks of desperation for favourable publicity.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

‘Happiness for Thais from the Army’ as a New Year gift for Thai people.

And who pays for all this, not the Thai people? Or will the top brass milk their rich wives for the costs involved?

[JOC]

Sometimes I wonder, if those in charge here live on the same galaxy!!

Instead of freedom of speech we give you free admission to sufficiency centers.

Instead of elections we give you newly cleaned religious sites!!

[bluebluewater]

Article Is dated December 22 - "clean up operation will last until December 26"

Yes, that will be helpful

Tourist assistance spots will be set up in the water? I would like to see what they have in mind for that.

[jacky54]

Went to a concert on Sat at a market in Bangkok that have been going to for years, lots of army there sporting machine guns never seen this before. Reports of the same at other venues the same day, is this 'protection', intimidation or is something else about to happen?

[Thailand]

51?

I guess number 52 will be an election?

[iReason]

"In addition, the military has under the same campaign begun cleaning up 395 religious places..."

Meaning, throwing out the deviant, corrupt monks?

[rubl]

Excuse me for being stupid but i thought most of these free new years gifts are what a Gov is supposed to do normally?

Aside from the free admission to sufficiency ??? Centers ??? I am at loss

Absolutely no shame claiming normal infrastructure projects to be gifts.

Smacks of desperation for favourable publicity.

Might it be that subsequent governments has been somewhat negligent to the point that some of this is indeed seen as gift rather than what government and government organisations are supposed to do?

[rubl]

51?

I guess number 52 will be an election?

52 = reforms

53 = constitution

54? = elections

[rubl]

"In addition, the military has under the same campaign begun cleaning up 395 religious places..."

Meaning, throwing out the deviant, corrupt monks?

I doubt it, people would complain about that level of interference. Some sre still fuming at the military having sidelined the bad politicians.

[baboon]

"In addition, the military has under the same campaign begun cleaning up 395 religious places..."

Meaning, throwing out the deviant, corrupt monks?

I doubt it, people would complain about that level of interference. Some sre still fuming at the military having sidelined the bad politicians.

The good ones too...

[swissie]

I find it recommendable that the some odd 300 Generals that Thailand boasts, are actually willing "to do something". That they find time for such petty things is a mystery to me, since they (all 300 of them = more Generals than the US and China have combined), have to uphold all defensive forces to avoid invasion by neighboring armies. A heavy burden.

Not surprising, that they are paid very well. All are multi- millionaires. Especially remarkable I find is the fact, that a part of the Generals have volunteered to join the "anti-corruption" Authorities offering their wisdom without asking for financial compensation.

Ever since I learned about this, I have never felt safer in Thailand !

Cheers.

[chotthee]

Thank you Thai Junta Supreme Leader General Prime Minister Prayuth the Great.

In such a short time, not only have you eradicate corruption, lower the fuel (and rubber) price, make all Thai people happy, protected the institution, you still have time to initiate 51 projects to enrich the Thai people.

We all will certainly vote for you as the President of Thailand forever and ever. Thank you 3 times.

[lvr181]

51?

I guess number 52 will be an election?

That is food for thought.

Mind you I always have an election before blekfast, so I guess an election is possible?

[Muirton]

103 military museums !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JAG]

103 military museums !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well that is only 1 for every three generals or so!

[whybother]

Excuse me for being stupid but i thought most of these free new years gifts are what a Gov is supposed to do normally?

Aside from the free admission to sufficiency ??? Centers ??? I am at loss

Why would the government have to clean up religious places?

[Bakseeda]

Sometimes I wonder, if those in charge here live on the same galaxy!!

Instead of freedom of speech we give you free admission to sufficiency centers.

Instead of elections we give you newly cleaned religious sites!!

JOC ... You are Farang......You have freedom of speech here.

JOC ... You are Farang...... You have elections ... and you elected to live here in Thailand.

JOC ... Leave Thailand to the Thai people ... if you don't like it... British Airways are open......

[h90]

Excuse me for being stupid but i thought most of these free new years gifts are what a Gov is supposed to do normally?

Aside from the free admission to sufficiency ??? Centers ??? I am at loss

Yes but after 10 years here, it is a big gift if the government does what it is supposed to do.

Usually they only fill their pockets and do nothing else.

[fobuff]

Excuse me for being stupid but i thought most of these free new years gifts are what a Gov is supposed to do normally?

Aside from the free admission to sufficiency ??? Centers ??? I am at loss

Yes that is what a governemt is supposed to do. But this is a military Junta, with martial law.. they do not know what a government is supposed to do.. so this is all new to them

[rickirs]

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Excuse me for being stupid but i thought most of these free new years gifts are what a Gov is supposed to do normally?
Aside from the free admission to sufficiency ??? Centers ??? I am at loss

Why would the government have to clean up religious places?

The Head of State must be a Buddhist, 95% of Thais are Buddhist, the State sponsors building of Buddhist temples, provides paid time off for senior civil service to go on a monk hiatus, State ceremonies include Buddhist pomp & circumstance, etc. For all practical purposes Buddhism is is a national religion. Using gvernment resources to clean up Buddhist religious places would be reasonable.

[FangFerang]

Excuse me for being stupid but i thought most of these free new years gifts are what a Gov is supposed to do normally?

Aside from the free admission to sufficiency ??? Centers ??? I am at loss

Absolutely no shame claiming normal infrastructure projects to be gifts.

Smacks of desperation for favourable publicity.

Might it be that subsequent governments has been somewhat negligent to the point that some of this is indeed seen as gift rather than what government and government organisations are supposed to do?

Rubl, I enjoy your optimism, but here I think it is misplaced, deflection, and naive.

[Kasset Tak]

103 military museums !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yea, there are a lot of them:

Royal Thai Army Museum, Bangkok

Royal Navy Headquarters, Bangkok

Royal Thai Air Force museum, Bangkok

Royal Military Academy museum, Bangkok

JEATH War Museum, Kanchanaburi

Just to mention a few of the better.

Many military installations around Thailand have their own small museum but we as foreigners might need a security clearance to visit them as some of the museums are inside a military installation. It can also be done if you are going with a Thai friend that have enough stars/rank ...

[iReason]

I find it recommendable that the some odd 300 Generals that Thailand boasts, are actually willing "to do something". That they find time for such petty things is a mystery to me, since they (all 300 of them = more Generals than the US and China have combined), have to uphold all defensive forces to avoid invasion by neighboring armies. A heavy burden.

Not surprising, that they are paid very well. All are multi- millionaires. Especially remarkable I find is the fact, that a part of the Generals have volunteered to join the "anti-corruption" Authorities offering their wisdom without asking for financial compensation.

Ever since I learned about this, I have never felt safer in Thailand !

Cheers.

According to BP Oct. 2012, there were 1,600 of them at that time.

The second highest in the world.

[rickirs]

The Thai Army is implementing 51 projects as "gifts."

Are these gifts coming out of the Defense budget at the expense of other military designated expendictures or are they "off budget" which is funded by debt? The military routinely gets 5% annual budget increases no matter the health of the Thai economy. It would be hard to accept that the military would "bite the bullet,"tank, or artillery to consume its own budget for civilian purposes. We're not talking about national security issues with these projects. They are merely political tools of "Happiness." But the military "owns" the government. There is no mandatory transparency to its unrestricted access to the nation's treasury.

The caissons of democracy go rolling along!

[baboon]

Excuse me for being stupid but i thought most of these free new years gifts are what a Gov is supposed to do normally?

Aside from the free admission to sufficiency ??? Centers ??? I am at loss

Absolutely no shame claiming normal infrastructure projects to be gifts.

Smacks of desperation for favourable publicity.

Might it be that subsequent governments has been somewhat negligent to the point that some of this is indeed seen as gift rather than what government and government organisations are supposed to do?

No.

[billd766]

"In addition, the military has under the same campaign begun cleaning up 395 religious places..."

Meaning, throwing out the deviant, corrupt monks?

I doubt it, people would complain about that level of interference. Some sre still fuming at the military having sidelined the bad politicians.

The good ones too...

Out of all the politicians during the last governmental period and all parties can you name 20 of them?