Prayut denies planning to abolish free healthcare to save money for buying submarines

[tbthailand]

let's compare the verified and measurable benefits of the 30 Bhat healthcare system - drop of 13% in infant mortality in 1 year.

and now let's consider the possible benefit of submarines in Thailand - where the average depth of the Gulf of Thailand is 58 meters...

The East Asia Forum has an interesting recent article on the healthcare system and it's precarious position with the current regime.

So are there really any thoughtful people out there who believe that military spending in a country with no serious external security issues should come before spending on basic healthcare, education and public welfare?

[Jay Sata]

They always find the money for projects like this.

Sadly poor people are just kept happy with an endless diet of tv soaps and the dream of winning the lottery.

[englishoak]

Upon returning from Japan, Prayut said the proposed procurement has nothing to do with the universal healthcare because it has been studied for years.

He said the government did not plan to discontinue the healthcare programme but the government simply did not have enough money to expand the health services.

So if it dosnt have the money for healthcare WHY and HOW is it spending 36 BILLION on military subs ????????????????? WHERE is it getting this 36 BILLION and why will it NOT spend that money on the HEALTH of the people instead ???

WHERE is his happiness and dedication to the well being of the people by Prayuth and co now ??? this is beyond excusing away when he says those two things in the same answer.

This is a Military Junta simply putting weapons before healthcare....

The Subs are to keep the Navy in line and happy thats all.

Edited July 5, 2015 by englishoak

[geriatrickid]

Just to be clear -

No money to expand the healthcare scheme.

However, does have billions of dollars to buy 3 subs that can dive in water as deep as 260 feet.

Ok............got it.

Priorities old boy, priorities. Other important expenditures in the budget are the upkeep of the Army golf courses and resorts.

Also of utmost importance or providing comfortable lodgings, benefits and salaries to the bloated senior officer corps of Thailand's military. It's the special Olympics of the military where everyone's a winner and gets a medal or ribbon.

[Srikcir]

Prayut is correct to deny the abolishment of healthcare to pay for the subs.

The subs are likely "off budget" as he seems not to concern himself with meeting a balanced budget. He also needs cash reserves for those quickie subsidies to buy silence when farmers start to protest about commodity prices.

Funding for the subs is likely to be hidden in one or more options. For example:

1. Prayut can simply have the Thai Treasury issue 10-year bonds to cover the purchase.

2. Prayut can bury the sub costs in the purchase of the Chinese dual rail project being financed by China.

3. Prayut can grant development concessions to foreign nations with a markup for the sub purchase.

I suspect that the intent to purchase the subs came with the Security Agreement with the Chinese around September 2014. Time would have then been "of the essence" for the Junta to establish its control over the nation's resources.

[kriswillems]

At least Thaksin did something for the people

Well propaganda from marxist side.... If Taksin do something why Isaan remains the poorest region thailand ?

Why during YL regime no poor farmer receive payment of their rice crop ? Why only landlords proxy to his camp receive benefit from rice scheme ?

Why Taksin not use is personal fortune for help poorest area of Thailand ? Why Taksin and is camp use vote buying ?

Why he want to transform a constitutional monarchy to fascist dictatorship “republic” under Thaksin Shinwatra rules ?

I don't like Thaksin, but you surely are one of these people that seems to blame everything that is wrong in this country on Thaksin (based on fake arguments).

Edited July 5, 2015 by kriswillems

[kriswillems]

Most countries in Europe that are much more rich than Thailand don't have submarines ...
Why does Thailand need submarines?
Any idea? I really don't see any logic in it.

[Basil B]

I agree that the money would be better spent on health care.

But I am sure the rumour was probably the work of certain activists who had they been in government would have found away of pocketing it.

I consider people who started this rumour to be more dangerous than those behind the "going to be anther coup" rumour.

[geriatrickid]

Just love your posting name "Bannum Opinions"

Ban everyone's opinion except yours and the drivel you continue to spew in support of a corrupt family run former dynasty.

I would love to see the poorer people of this country get a better deal in the true socialist ideal fashion...but not at the expense of the neo dictatorship the Shinawatras wished to impose.

Anyone who still supports the failed Shinawatra model is either foolish or a full blown communist...as many of their supporters were and still are....for all the wrong reasons (think old Joe Stalin absolute rule).

The sad part about it all is that the misguided true believers from "the old country" think they are truly important in their cause in Thailand.

Just quietly ..you are not and will be chewed up and spat out the same as any other farang in the bigger scheme of things.

Ahh yes, the old canard. Anyone who opposes the military rule is a dirty rotten commie or a supporter of former PM Thaksin. This isn't 1955; The cries of commie bring back images of Joe McCarthy, the alcoholic pathological liar and bully. He terrorized people from his seat in the US Senate, accusing political enemies of being communists.

Most people in TVF who are not a supporter of the current government are not "communists". Rather, they are opposed to the suspension of human rights and the imposition of martial law. Nor does this mean they are "supporters" of Thaksin. The reason Thaksin was popular with the people is that he gave them hope and he made a positive change for their well being. He was a capitalist. For all his faults and defects, he was the only option available if one didn't want rule by the generals or the military's puppets, the Democrats. Thaksin was a populist leader and was the Thai version of Silvio Berlusconi, Huey Long and many others. Neither right, nor left wing, but a populist.

It is laughable that you use the term communist when Thaksin was anything but. It is one of the reasons why there is so much dislike of him within the UDD. I know it upsets the assumptions, but some of his fiercest opponents were social activists. You know the war on drugs that everyone likes to complain about in TVF? The most vocal opponents were those who had supported Thaksin and who you would call redshirts and leftists. The opposition didn't come from the Democrats or the military because they supported the activity. The same for the southern insurgency response. The more liberal wing of TRT wanted a different approach, but Thaksin stuck with the strategy developed and executed by the military.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The only way Thai submarines are going to "return happiness" to the Thai people is if the Navy gives free sub rides every weekend to all the kiddies .... just like the subs on a track that kind of submerge at Disneyland in L.A.

Actually, couldn't Thailand just buy those from Disneyland instead? They'd be just about as effective as the Chinese one's they're planning to purchase.

[SiSePuede419]

Why, this is how a 20-something can come to Thailand with no education and claim they're making big money on the internet "legit".

Thai Submarine Captain.

Only takes a couple of hours work a day. You can do everything from your expensive hotel room in Chiang Mai.

And then spend the rest of the day out whoring around...

5555+

[BuckBee]

bringing happiness to a few naval pals !

absolute stupidity beyond belief but typical of high class thais who live in a self-righteous greedy dream land.

Submarines is an extreme waste of funds & due to losses from previous government/political protests & possible economy down turn submarine investment is last thing they want be doing ! This Prayut is a typical hi-so fool ...

[elgordo38]

I think, Thailand is actually a rich country. There is more then enough money. It's a shame that so many Thais must anyhow suffer.

Yes there is more than enough money in Thailand but it is in to few hands and those fists are closed tightly on the baht bundle. Greed here is more ingrained. Billionaires in the west are coming to the conclusion that 1% of the population cannot indefinitely have control of the majority of the worlds money. They are coming to the understanding that one of three things must happen soon. More taxes, war or revolution. Some are even embracing the $15 an hour minimum wage. They are a greedy bunch but slowly they are coming to realize that they must share or it will be taken from them. They realize that we are at a tipping point. Rich people are greedy but not stupid. Part of a pot of gold is better than none.

[elgordo38]

They always find the money for projects like this.

Sadly poor people are just kept happy with an endless diet of tv soaps and the dream of winning the lottery.

Its called political crowd control.

[elgordo38]

Hes handing out pay rises to civil servants and considering to buy submarines but wants to cut healthcare?

My oh my oh my, this bloke is a dangerous fool

My country is trying to cut civil servants pay and benefits even for us retired ones. The have gone as far as they can hollowing out the private sector now its the turn of the public sector. Civil servants are a great whipping boy right now because wages, benefits, hours of work etc. have dropped so much and the private sector is eyeing the public one with envy. It is called playing off one side against the other an old trick when dealing with workers. They are trying to tell us that pensions are a gift from the government bullshit we paid into this for years its no gift we earned it. When I/we retired we agreed to a certain package now they want to renegotiate that and in my case after 22 years of retirement. When I got my huge 1.7% cost of living increase for this year I should have sent a thank you card. I imagine when deflation (according to their lying figures) crops up next year they will want to take some of my pay check back. What a mess. The good general is floating trial balloons on the healthcare system. Which way is the wind blowing. We all know what happens next.

Edited July 5, 2015 by elgordo38

[PattayaClub]

Give the guy the benefit of the doubt. He may be planning to buy three sandwiches.

[webfact]

INCREASING CRITICISM
PM moves to separate sub deal from health funds worry
THE NATION


Prayut Chan-o-cha

Prayut says the two are not linked and both decisions will be considered carefully

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha is attempting to shield himself from increasing criticism over the government's plan to spend billions on the purchase of three submarines from China while dealing with a universal healthcare scheme running out of funds, saying a clear decision is yet to be made on either one.

"Please do not link the healthcare scheme with the Navy's plan to buy submarines. The government will consider the two matters with care," he said.

The public has reacted to the submarine purchase plan with mixed feeling, after Prime Minister Prayut himself had earlier said the government would review the universal healthcare scheme - which provided healthcare services to the poor - as its budget is running out.

On Thursday, Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Kraisorn Chansuwanich said the Navy had decided to purchase the submarines through a government-to-government contract worth Bt36 billion and would propose for the purchase details to the Cabinet soon.

Academics and politicians have questioned the government over the move given the situation with the universal healthcare scheme.

"Do not make a mountain out of a mole hill or the ill-intentioned group may use it as a tool," Prayut said. "We have to earn more money to take care of people. It does not mean the government will stop taking care of people.

"If we cannot make more money, we have to make do, no matter how much people call for. Do not link this plan [the healthcare review] with a submarine proposal that had been planned for 10 years.

"Do not worry because the Cabinet has to consider if we have money. It is not that we are going to buy them [the subs] the day after tomorrow. That is many years away,'' he said.

The push to revamp the healthcare scheme has been happening for a while, with a group of doctors calling for the introduction of a co-payment system in the medical sector.

They insisted that if the country launched this system too late, it would succumb under the weight of a free healthcare system that had been devouring a growing amount of budget for many years.

Pheu Thai Party politician Watana Muangsook yesterday wrote an article entitled 'The government has no money to care the poor but has budget to purchase expensive submarines'.

He said that Prayut's government would never do for the poor what it claimed it would, but would only benefit its cronies.

The government said it has no budget to help the farmer, but at the same time it has allocated more than Bt100 billion for the military officers who helped stage the coup last year, he said.

The Prayut government has no money for universal healthcare, which was designed to help the poor access public health services, but where is the Bt36 billion [for the submarines] coming from? said Wattana, who was a commerce minister in Thaksin Shinawatra's cabinet.

He said the government claimed that it took power from the elected government under Yingluck Shinawatra last year to implement national reform, but questioned whether the reform agenda was credible.

"The first agency badly needed to be reformed is the military," he said. "How can we trust the reformers as they conducted the reform with discrimination."

Watana said the economy was slowing due to sluggish exports and domestic consumption since the coup. There is no new foreign investment since the coup because the military government has no initiative to build confidence among foreign investors, he said.

Thailand is now under pressure due to international measures against the government such as the yellow card for the fisheries industry under the European Union's illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and the red flag by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, he said.

"What the government has to do now is to concentrate on solving the economic problem, but unfortunately the government's attempts will fail as no country wants to associate with an undemocratic government," he said.

The Democrat Party's Tavorn Senneam also disagrees with the government plan to purchase the submarines due to there being no maritime threat.

The government should allocate the budget for the submarines for measures to lift the economy and help poor farmers cope with the ongoing drought, he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/PM-moves-to-separate-sub-deal-from-health-funds-wo-30263827.html


-- The Nation 2015-07-06

[NongKhaiKid]

The PM must realise and if not he'll learn quickly that every time the question of budget, or lack of it arises, the potential sub purchase will re-surface, pun intended.

I'm sure at some point he'll get fed up of answering questions and throw a fit, maybe other things too, at annoying reporters but the issue won't go away as to all intents and purposes it's an illogical and unnecessary purchase except to the navy and many in the NCPO.

Journalistic re-education classes anyone as we can't have the PM being asked questions he can't or won't answer.

[smutcakes]

I think they could go someway to assuring the public that this is not a frivolous purchase, by publishing aspects of the feasibility study they undertook for the project. They got a 200 million baht budget so their must be areas of it that could be published that do not threaten national security.

I.e operational depths, likely role played, cost of training, 10-20 year maintenance/repair plan and cost etc

Of course it could be that there is no report, and the 200 million has 'disappeared'.....

[simon43]

For all his faults and defects, he was the only option available if one didn't want rule by the generals or the military's puppets, the Democrats.

Fully agree. The country has been run by idiots since Thaksin was illegally ousted. (And I count YL as an idiot as well - she was clearly not PM material).

Sorry - do my views make me a communist?

[Assurancetourix]

At least Thaksin did something for the people

Well propaganda from marxist side.... If Taksin do something why Isaan remains the poorest region thailand ?

Maybe you must come to I-San and see by yourself...and not only read what Nation " journalists " write ;

you are not without knowing they aren't journalists but only people who write what the party in power wants ...

You'll be surprise to see it's wrong .

555 ! If Thaksin is marxist, I'm Jesus Christ

[LannaGuy]

He's been listening to 'we all live in a yellow submarine' a little too much

a complete, utter waste of money while he scraps the health care scheme

Edited July 6, 2015 by LannaGuy

[rubl]

He's been listening to 'we all live in a yellow submarine' a little too much

a complete, utter waste of money while he scraps the health care scheme

Pray tell, where does it say the Healthcare scheme has been scrapped by the current government?

While you're at it, could you also include data on how under or over financed the Heathcare scheme has been since it started in 2001? Furthermore add the costs of having the "30 Baht" reintroduced by the previous government because that had such nice ring to it?

[LannaGuy]

He's been listening to 'we all live in a yellow submarine' a little too much

a complete, utter waste of money while he scraps the health care scheme

Pray tell, where does it say the Healthcare scheme has been scrapped by the current government?

While you're at it, could you also include data on how under or over financed the Heathcare scheme has been since it started in 2001? Furthermore add the costs of having the "30 Baht" reintroduced by the previous government because that had such nice ring to it?

Do your research they are planning to scrap it. It's obvious you don't think Thai's healthcare is as important as buy some shiny new subs which are part of a p***ing contest with other nations. The 30baht scheme is loved by ordinary Thai's who have little money to pay for healthcare.

[rubl]

Just to be clear -

No money to expand the healthcare scheme.

However, does have billions of dollars to buy 3 subs that can dive in water as deep as 260 feet.

Ok............got it.

Let's it make clear, an ageing population, resistance to increase pension age from 60 to upwards, resistance to increase of the tax base, cut have to be made.

That's why only three subs which can dive 240 meters are bought for 36 billion Baht (about US$ 1.1 billion). BTW why would those subs need to dive deeper (assuming that detail is correct)?

[rubl]

He's been listening to 'we all live in a yellow submarine' a little too much

a complete, utter waste of money while he scraps the health care scheme

Pray tell, where does it say the Healthcare scheme has been scrapped by the current government?

While you're at it, could you also include data on how under or over financed the Heathcare scheme has been since it started in 2001? Furthermore add the costs of having the "30 Baht" reintroduced by the previous government because that had such nice ring to it?

Do your research they are planning to scrap it. It's obvious you don't think Thai's healthcare is as important as buy some shiny new subs which are part of a p***ing contest with other nations. The 30baht scheme is loved by ordinary Thai's who have little money to pay for healthcare.

Well, I did my research and there is no plan to scrap the Heathcare scheme.

Obviously I think a proper Heath Care scheme important as well as a scheme which offers 'affordable' healthcare. Unlike some I don't care about the name '30 Baht' scheme as that just reminds me it costs 80 Baht to administer.

BTW Did I hear you advocate the UK drops their new shiny aircraft carriers as surely that would help keep the NHS affordable? Anything on Cambodia removing it's troops along the border so Thailand can abolish it's army? An appeal to the UN so Thailand can save money? Should Thailand be brave and just abolish it's Armed Forces to shame the other countries?

Edited July 6, 2015 by rubl

[ezzra]

I think they needs subs to look for the last shreds of dignity and brains on the bottom of the ocean...

or the bury their shame in the abbeys of the sea water...

[tbthailand]

Just to be clear -

No money to expand the healthcare scheme.

However, does have billions of dollars to buy 3 subs that can dive in water as deep as 260 feet.

Ok............got it.

Let's it make clear, an ageing population, resistance to increase pension age from 60 to upwards, resistance to increase of the tax base, cut have to be made.

That's why only three subs which can dive 240 meters are bought for 36 billion Baht (about US$ 1.1 billion). BTW why would those subs need to dive deeper (assuming that detail is correct)?

well, in the Gulf of Thailand, these subs will drag bottom at (on average) around 58 meters... that is unless those crafty Chinese built back-hoes on the rudder...

Put that into perspective, I understand that recreational scuba divers regularly go to 40 meters on a tank of compressed air... seems like they could soon go wreck-diving on a couple of new submarines...

[Emster23]

In a spirit of compromise and to show he does listen to the people, he has announced that each sub will be fitted out with state of the art public health clinic. That should silence all the whingers....

[rubl]

Just to be clear -

No money to expand the healthcare scheme.

However, does have billions of dollars to buy 3 subs that can dive in water as deep as 260 feet.

Ok............got it.

Let's it make clear, an ageing population, resistance to increase pension age from 60 to upwards, resistance to increase of the tax base, cut have to be made.

That's why only three subs which can dive 240 meters are bought for 36 billion Baht (about US$ 1.1 billion). BTW why would those subs need to dive deeper (assuming that detail is correct)?

well, in the Gulf of Thailand, these subs will drag bottom at (on average) around 58 meters... that is unless those crafty Chinese built back-hoes on the rudder...

Put that into perspective, I understand that recreational scuba divers regularly go to 40 meters on a tank of compressed air... seems like they could soon go wreck-diving on a couple of new submarines...

So, why would someone complain these subs 'only' go 260 feet? Someone just trying to distract just as much as you do as none of this has any relation with PM Prayut denying to scrap the Heath Care scheme, only to reign in it's exploding costs?