Thailand and China Aim to Strengthen Military Ties

[Jacob Maslow]

Thailand and Chinese authorities will meet this week with the goal of strengthening military ties. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan will meet with China’s Defense Minister Gen Chang Wang this Wednesday in China.

The two will meet for a two-day meeting that will include military officers and authorities from both sides. The main goal is to strengthen cooperation between both countries in the form of training, weaponry and the hopes of procuring submarines.

During the meeting, Thailand authorities will be given a demonstration of China’s military. There has been an announcement that Thailand will be able to observe an array of weaponry that China has, but there have been no official announcements on the actual location of the demonstration.

Thailand will try to come to an agreement with China to purchase weapons. The two sides will also discuss the possibility of conducting military exercises and training together. While both sides perform joint military exercises every two years, Thailand aims to increase this number.

The Thai navy is also looking to purchase two submarines from China, with a total worth of 36,000 million baht.

Submarines will allow the Thai navy to better control the country’s vast shorelines and would bolster the country’s defenses.

-- 2015-04-06

[daoyai]

Because subs would be useless in the gulf, that leaves that short bit of coastline between Myanmar and Malysia to patrol and "secure", ... militarization on the march ,teaming up with imperialist china, does not look good for the future.

[WhizBang]

So, the PM's sale of Thailand to China must be almost complete.

[chainarong]

It is not heartening to see this about turn after years of allying with ANZUS and NATO however in a true democracy Thailand can go and take a giant leap wherever, the picture has been changed on the wall and the position shift by Thailand is of little concern , frankly no-one could careless. one would hope that China helps Thailand in monetary terms like it's allies have done over the decades , everything now operates out of the top end of OZ, the matter of concern is the expansionist ideals of China, only time will tell with this marriage.

[Oziex1]

What does the Thai military really have to offer? Corrupt, poorly trained and equiped do they have any recent real combat experience?

[alant]

Art 44 may not bring anything from the USA and the EU other than gum bashing but this could.

[Just1Voice]

This is not a good thing, in a lot of ways. Unfortunately, Thailand is too blind, or is it stupid, to see it.

[oneday]

There go the hopes and dreams of Thailand.

[mikiea]

So, the PM's sale of Thailand to China must be almost complete.

all that is left is to sell the idea of monks & thsiness and its a done deal. ...:-)

[wabothai]

It is up to the Thai people to change Thailand and definitely not up to a few

generals. May be the Thai people don't want these kind of ties with China.

Moreover where does the money come from to buy 2 Chinese submarines, did this

go through parliament?

No, it is going to be shoved down the throat of the Thai people.

Elections are over due. What is your secret agenda mr. allmighty? Are you

getting scared and have to team up with big brother #2, after #1 is getting inyour way?

[Bluespunk]

Long spoons, gentlemen, long spoons.

[anon4546543]

I wonder if this deal with China includes defining where the sea boundary of Thailand finishes and Chinas' territory claim starts. If Thailand asks China to clarify, Thailand is in for a big shock. But the purchase of a few subs and increased military ties is no big deal. The Thai military poses no threat to any country, except possibly their own. The Andaman Sea is a strategic sea lane and the purchase of two conventional hunter/killer subs to patrol this area makes some kind of sense. They will be cheap at least. And because the US publicly criticised and caused Thailand to lose face Thailand, has little recourse but to run into the loving embrace of not only China but Russia as well.

[pendingo]

Yes, it looks like the Thai government is hedging its bets.

The corporate puppet masters in the US and the rest of the world will have to up their game.

Old Chinese proverb "When you drink the water, remember the spring."

The Thais would do well to remember this when those bets are called in.

[billd766]

Thailand which is a sovreign nation in its own right also had the right to buy military equipment from whoever it wants to.

The last lot of RTAF aircraft bought were the Gripen from Sweden. Did any of you lot moan about that?

[The manic]

When was the last time The Chinese army fought anyone other than unarmed civilians? Oh yes. They were trounced by the Vietnamese in the 70s. Their last victory was Tiananmen square. I am sure there will be a useful relationship between the two armies. Victory over the people!...Sorry I meant: Victory to the people.

[pendingo]

Long spoons, gentlemen, long spoons.

That's a very good analogy Bluespunk.

I wonder how many people on TV know the parable of the "Long Spoons."

This is what life should be like in an ideal world.

[T_Dog]

Believe it or not, someone has to take control of Thailand, for the sake of the Thais.

Myself, I am not afraid of the so-called Chinese boogey man.

Thailand should be though, as they are hitching themselves to a train wreck.

[h90]

What does the Thai military really have to offer? Corrupt, poorly trained and equiped do they have any recent real combat experience?

Strategic important position.....Airports and habors (that the USA love to use when they make troubles in Asia).

Strongest military in the region (beside Malaysia, maybe).

Manpower

You saw what the poor trained and equiped did in the Vietnam war. The kicked out the good trained and equiped American, with quantity.

[h90]

When was the last time The Chinese army fought anyone other than unarmed civilians? Oh yes. They were trounced by the Vietnamese in the 70s. Their last victory was Tiananmen square. I am sure there will be a useful relationship between the two armies. Victory over the people!...Sorry I meant: Victory to the people.

Which means that China is much more peaceful than USA (NATO). That is a good sign and someone to team up with.

[BuckBee]

Thai military has nothing to offer, thailand in itself will be a leach on chinas back but one it will put up with for sake of marine waters.

Thais & chinese don't seem go together that well from what I've seen but i'm happy to watch & enjoy the comic show from Singapore.

[zydeco]

Yes, it looks like the Thai government is hedging its bets.

The corporate puppet masters in the US and the rest of the world will have to up their game.

Old Chinese proverb "When you drink the water, remember the spring."

The Thais would do well to remember this when those bets are called in.

Neither the US or Europe needs to up their ante by one red cent. All they need to do is get up and leave the game, which means closing their markets to Thai products or products made with parts from Thailand.

[Oziex1]

To the major nations, Superpowers, if you like Thailand is just a cheap whore. It will be used and abused, what then for Thailand and it's people.

[lildragon]

Down the repression road we go. I wonder how long until google/facebook and more free speech are banned? And some of you here willingly wanted this.

[boomerangutang]

During the meeting, Thailand authorities will be given a demonstration of China’s military.

And one of thailand's thousands of generals might comment, "Jeezo, those tanks and planes and weapon systems sure look a lot like America's. What an amazing coincidence; that China has been independently developing weapon systems that so closely resemble America's. The Chinese must have innovative engineers!"

And around that time, the Thai generals decide to give a demonstration of Thailand's military prowess: First they call for their aircraft carrier: whoops, it floats, but not much else, sorry, just forget about that, ok?. Lets show the Chinese our bomb detectors: You see these black boxes with antennaes, only cost $33,000 each and can detect..... oh wait, maybe not, ....oh well, the bad guys see the boxes and are afraid to take their bombs through our checkpoints. So, you see, they work. Plus, those black boxes helped me get BMW cars for every member of my family, so they can't be all bad, ha ha. Have some more Johnny Walker, ha ha.

[pendingo]

When was the last time The Chinese army fought anyone other than unarmed civilians? Oh yes. They were trounced by the Vietnamese in the 70s. Their last victory was Tiananmen square. I am sure there will be a useful relationship between the two armies. Victory over the people!...Sorry I meant: Victory to the people.

What about in North Korea as an example?

"In October 1950 the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) secretly moved across the Yalu into the central mountains of North Korea. In the first of five offensives the Chinese halted the UNC advance. Then in December they drove the UNC out of North Korea, inflicting several severe defeats, including at the Chosin Reservoir where the United States Marines were almost overwhelmed. The UNC on the east coast was cut off and evacuated by sea at Hungnam and Wonsan.

In later attacks the Chinese recaptured Seoul. By the time the CPV halted exhausted in January 1951, they had driven the UNC 400 kilometres south down the length of the peninsula to 70 kilometres beyond Seoul. The UNC recovered and was able to advance north again, but in April came the last ‘Fifth Phase’ Chinese offensive. The 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) played a vital part in halting the advance on Seoul at Kapyong. In a final brief period of open war in October 1951, during Operation Commando, 3RAR took the key height of Maryang San from the CPV."

Check this out manic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chinese_wars_and_battles.

Don't ever underestimate the Chinese with a population of over 1.35 billion people and an army of approximately 2.3 million personnel.

My apologies moderators if this is off topic.

[Oziex1]

The Art of War by SunTzu is over 2000 years old and is recognised as the handbook on how to fight a war, yep the Chinese know a thing or two about fighting a battle.

[pendingo]

Yes, it looks like the Thai government is hedging its bets.

The corporate puppet masters in the US and the rest of the world will have to up their game.

Old Chinese proverb "When you drink the water, remember the spring."

The Thais would do well to remember this when those bets are called in.

Neither the US or Europe needs to up their ante by one red cent. All they need to do is get up and leave the game, which means closing their markets to Thai products or products made with parts from Thailand.

You really think they will leave the game zydeco?

I don't think for one minute that will happen.

Time will tell.

There's too much at stake here.

[ratcatcher]

Thailand and China Aim to Strengthen Military Ties Thais.

Is that more to the point?

[lostoday]

The Kilo class subs like the ones Malaysia and Vietnam have would seem to be a good bet. They are the quietest diesel ever built and designed for operation in shallow waters and for surface operations too. Maybe they could be used in Bangkok if floods to deep in the future. China has a bunch of nuclear subs so will probably want to sell the diesel ones.

[zydeco]

Yes, it looks like the Thai government is hedging its bets.

The corporate puppet masters in the US and the rest of the world will have to up their game.

Old Chinese proverb "When you drink the water, remember the spring."

The Thais would do well to remember this when those bets are called in.

Neither the US or Europe needs to up their ante by one red cent. All they need to do is get up and leave the game, which means closing their markets to Thai products or products made with parts from Thailand.

You really think they will leave the game zydeco?

I don't think for one minute that will happen.

Time will tell.

There's too much at stake here.

What is at stake? Thailand is chaotic, undependable, inefficient, and the infrastructure that the Americans built for them in the 60s and 70s is beginning to deteriorate. Meanwhile, Vietnam and the Philippines (where there is a traditional relationship and people speak English) are beckoning.