Thai editorial: Outrageous timing for a submarine purchase

[Ricardo]

The old Junta and its supporters have created a bit of a rod for their own back. They all crowed that the debt was unmanageable and it would destroy Thailand, now miraculously they have money slushing around for submarines whilst on the other hand complaining about the burden of the UC.

They have created so many fabrications and distortions on the situation in Thailand over the years, that they are quite simply tying themselves in nots. Not just on economic issues, but also due to requiring support from so many parties which needs the debt honoring they have people queuing up for payment down the blocks. I notice when the poo is starting to fly that poor old Prayut's father figures have suddenly disappeared from public view letting him cop all the flak, the brave men.

"due to requiring support from so many parties which needs the debt honoring they have people queuing up for payment down the blocks"

Would you not agree that this was equally a problem for Samak/Somchai's PPP-led coalition-government, and Yingluck's PTP-led coalition-government, both of which had all the usual old dinosaurs (or should that be Gadarine-swine ) sharing the trough ?

Perhaps it is inherent to forming a coalition-party like TRT, that the different factions need to be kept-in-line, or like the 'Friends of Newin' they might 'get the hump' and break away ?

IMO there are not, as yet, true national political-parties here, as we farangs would understand them.

"now miraculously they have money slushing around for submarines"

I hadn't realised that the proposal for three Chinese-built submarines was approved yet, do you have a link ?

[elgordo38]

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Funds are drying up for healthcare, but the Navy still wants bigger muscles to flex

No they don't.

The admirals just want the kickbacks after they get the subs ordered.

With new subs I think Thailand is finally stepping into the modern world so lets keep going. What part of the country would be best suited to build a space centre and put a Thai on the moon or get into the race for a manned landing on Mars. To pay for all this they like the West and Europe they could buy printing presses and start cranking out the bahts. Ben Bernanke alias Helicaptor Ben had the right idea. Drop money from the skies and look where this bright idea got him running the American monetary system. They should rename the United States IOUSA

[quandow]

Isn't this supposed to be an interim government that SHOULD be FOCUSING on setting up a democratic republic?

[wabothai]

the editorial department is rather late with this one.

We have been at it for quite a while now.

[Jimlove]

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Funds are drying up for healthcare, but the Navy still wants bigger muscles to flex

No they don't.

The admirals just want the kickbacks after they get the subs ordered.

Agree ... Its a question about filling up their bank accounts and satisfy mia noi in the Gucci-shop - nothing new there ...

[Ricardo]

With new subs I think Thailand is finally stepping into the modern world so lets keep going. What part of the country would be best suited to build a space centre and put a Thai on the moon or get into the race for a manned landing on Mars. To pay for all this they like the West and Europe they could buy printing presses and start cranking out the bahts. Ben Bernanke alias Helicaptor Ben had the right idea. Drop money from the skies and look where this bright idea got him running the American monetary system. They should rename the United States IOUSA

IIRC there was a conference (in Pattaya ?) about a decade ago, where it was planned to put the first Thai into space by now. We laughed at the time, but ...

Recently three Thais are reported to have been training in Florida, to become astronauts.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Phirada-poised-to-become-first-Thai-to-go-into-out-30226264.html

So as usual, truth is stranger than fiction, it seems.

Perhaps Khun Phirada can look for enemy subs, in the Gulf of Siam, during her trip ?

[off road pat]

Well they should certainly wait until they dug the sub channel across the Isthmus. Imagine if the subs were parked up in Sattahip and there was some pirate activity/other emergency in the Andaman - they would take about 10 days to arrive. And then when they did arrive, what the heck can a sub do about anything. Blimps are probably more useful.

Food for the poor would more appropriate!..........................or an education system.................or...............or..............law enforcement.............!

Exactly,...!...A reformed Education system, A good health care system and a honest police force would be a lot more important than waste all that money on those tin cans they call submarines that most likely will be lost in the first or or one of the first dives at see.....

By the way those submarines would only benefit the people that get the kickbacks...but never the country.....! and buying submarines from China ? could be inviting a Trojan horse into the country...!!!

[HeijoshinCool]

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Funds are drying up for healthcare, but the Navy still wants bigger muscles to flex

No they don't.

The admirals just want the kickbacks after they get the subs ordered.

With new subs I think Thailand is finally stepping into the modern world so lets keep going. What part of the country would be best suited to build a space centre and put a Thai on the moon or get into the race for a manned landing on Mars. To pay for all this they like the West and Europe they could buy printing presses and start cranking out the bahts. Ben Bernanke alias Helicaptor Ben had the right idea. Drop money from the skies and look where this bright idea got him running the American monetary system. They should rename the United States IOUSA

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IOUSA?

Brilliant.

[lostoday]

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Funds are drying up for healthcare, but the Navy still wants bigger muscles to flex

No they don't.

The admirals just want the kickbacks after they get the subs ordered.

With new subs I think Thailand is finally stepping into the modern world so lets keep going. What part of the country would be best suited to build a space centre and put a Thai on the moon or get into the race for a manned landing on Mars. To pay for all this they like the West and Europe they could buy printing presses and start cranking out the bahts. Ben Bernanke alias Helicaptor Ben had the right idea. Drop money from the skies and look where this bright idea got him running the American monetary system. They should rename the United States IOUSA

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IOUSA?

Brilliant.

Brilliant topic change.

[Thai at Heart]

Meanwhile, families of troops stationed in the 3 southern provinces are watching thier loved ones being slaughtered whilst on patrol riding Honda Waves........ I've now lost faith in the General.

God knows why anyone ever had any faith in him at all anyway. He knows one way. The way he is ordered to go.....

And to think someone had the temerity to imply that possibly, Prem wasn't too chuffed with his performance so far.

The guy is a very very dangerous man and is leading Thailand down a more authoritarian path every day, whilst apparently giving up its main strategic ally to cosy up to China.

Who the hell ever asked him to do that?

Edited July 7, 2015 by Thai at Heart

[billphillips]

I think most sane people can clearly understand that ... the biggest threat to Thailand's security, sovereignty and peace, can come from within (if it's not already here). The internal threat is far, far greater than any imagined or perceived threat from the sea, land or air.

[Fab5BKK]

Have you been to North Korea?

I lived and worked in China and I can tell you I felt having much more freedom in Thailand than in China. Now, talking about North Korea...

This place feels more and more like North Korea every day.

[Jay Sata]

This mans logic knows no bounds.

Prayut claims it's better to buy three submarines from China and make neighbours "stand in awe of us" than just leave 36 billion baht lying around to be probably misused by the next government.

Looking at Thailand's problems I doubt even Cambodia stands in awe of a country about to splash out all that money when the Gulf of Thailand is only 60metres deep.

That might be one of the reasons the last time a sub was purchased was 63 years ago.

Has anyone told him they don't come with windows? When the ill fated Malaysian Airlines flight disappeared the government in Kuala Lumpur were left red faced as their two subs could not be used. The goverment claimed they were not rescue vessels and could only be used for warfare.

No doubt Prayut wants three for one upmanship but who is Thailand going to war with?

During WW2 Japan just walked in!

The navy lobbied for the purchase of submarines during the Yingluck government to no avail. No votes in such a waste of money.

It would make a lot more sense to spend the money now on water schemes to prevent the flooding and drought cycles.

Edited July 8, 2015 by Jay Sata

[tonbridgebrit]

Between its most recent military coups, in 2006 and 2014, Thailand's defence budget far more than doubled, from Bt81 billion in pre-coup 2005 to Bt180 billion. The military-led government is now mulling a 2016 defence budget of Bt207 billion, marking a 7-per-cent hike over this year and representing nearly 8 per cent of total state expenditures, as well as 1.5 per cent of GDP.

Thailand's total budget doubled during this period too. Military budget has remained around 8% of the budget during this entire period. It remains there with submarines or not, people don't understand how much they cost in relation to the total budget. It is $1 billion split over many years out of the normal military budget, just like with similar recent acquisitions the Thai Navy has made. The total Thai budget these days is around US$80 billion per year right now, of which health and education is around $30 billion per year.

Lets not forget that $30 billion that was thrown away with the rice scheme as well, that would have paid for 90 submarines, a high speed rail from Laos to Malaysia, or the health and education budget for an entire year.

Yes, but the rice scheme did actually give money to a load of rice farmers. And maybe a stack of corrupt government officials as well. The submarines, well, who benefits ??

[tonbridgebrit]

This mans logic knows no bounds.

Prayut claims it's better to buy three submarines from China and make neighbours "stand in awe of us" than just leave 36 billion baht lying around to be probably misused by the next government.

Looking at Thailand's problems I doubt even Cambodia stands in awe of a country about to splash out all that money when the Gulf of Thailand is only 60metres deep.

That might be one of the reasons the last time a sub was purchased was 63 years ago.

Has anyone told him they don't come with windows? When the ill fated Malaysian Airlines flight disappeared the government in Kuala Lumpur were left red faced as their two subs could not be used. The goverment claimed they were not rescue vessels and could only be used for warfare.

No doubt Prayut wants three for one upmanship but who is Thailand going to war with?

During WW2 Japan just walked in!

The navy lobbied for the purchase of submarines during the Yingluck government to no avail. No votes in such a waste of money.

It would make a lot more sense to spend the money now on water schemes to prevent the flooding and drought cycles.

Yes, Jay Sata. Use tax-payers money to bribe voters, or use it to subsidise whatever product for the voters. Don't use the money to buy subs that will probably be practically useless !!

And I'm not being sarcastic.

[Your Thainess]

Good editorial