Thai Army bases selling cheap food to public

[VINCENT2012]

i think it is a ridiculous idea because first ....there is no cheap food, for a small price there is only rabish food in the plate... i dont see much food on that table from the photo except salade...anyway food has a real price. vegetables, meat, fish etc etc..many people in thailand already eat that mama crap instant nudles fast everyday for 6 baths ,...the real factory cost is 4.5 baths .now do u really think people can have an equilibrate dish for that price....it is impossible.!

now, if the military systeme want to make propaganda over thailand giving food to the popullation converting imself in a catering military system ...it is fine to me....!

all budhist temple already give food for free....i still dont see the final interest doing this thing....i think it is a waste of time and money from the tax payer.

[scorecard]

Sort of expecting this.

Been there, done that, in Vietnam, just awful, but better then going hungry in the jungle.

What it's like today who knows.

[bitcoinbob]

the army knows that the financial situation of the people in Thailand is not good, if the army is doing this. They may not admit it in public but this is why they are doing it. people that are fed are less likely to revolt and cause trouble. this is very serious if they doing this they know on this basic level a portion of the thai population is suffering and more to come. use food now instead of bullets later. no a good sign at all

[Basil B]

but we need subs ...

which bread? 6 inch or 12 inch? toasted? Cheese? ?????

[Emster23]

Another fine example of short sighted stupidity screwing with market. One would hope posters here might have taken at least one econ class during life. This will have effects of 1. driving real world, profit driven small vendors out of business (does army have to pay off cops for space, btw?) 2. being out of business will mean less taxes to government to pay for this 3. Ultimate goal is to use primary reinforcer (food) to "train" the public to love the military

And this from side that thought rice scheme was bad idea (which it was, but this is similar distortion of reality). How about raising the bridge (higher wages, lower taxes) rather than lowering the river (subsidized feeding of the masses).

[Fat Haggis]

Sort of expecting this.

Been there, done that, in Vietnam, just awful, but better then going hungry in the jungle.

What it's like today who knows.

I must be an exception as I loved the MRE's ID gather up as many of the milkshakes I could !! strawberry was lush!!

Today's MREs are not too bad, we were always grabbing as many as we could from the US Mil when we were running convoys all over Iraq. Meatloaf was my favourite

Don't listen to JAG it was the Tabasco sauce in everything that turned his rectum into a pressure hose!!

As to the OP, the thought and intentions are good towards the poor, but it's a conflict of interests between other street vendors who will now end up out of business.

[JAG]

I like Meatloaf - "bat out of hell - I saw paradise in the dashboard light" was one of the all time greats. But MREs were not a patch on Compo. The old tinned variety, cheese possessed, spina bifida chicken, babies heads,tubes off condensed milk and 20 year old bars of chocolate sealed in a tin. We kept the Russians east of the Elbe for 40 years on a diet of that (and Herforder Pils)! Don't listen to Haggis, only a boy could get excited about strawberry milkshake in a packet!

Edited July 17, 2015 by JAG

[Srikcir]

There will always be people who have nothing good to say or have some smartass remarks to make about the army. But to the poorer people who can buy their food cheap, this is a good thing.

Tell that to the street sellers who are being undersold by a government department that has wholesale buying power.

Not to mention the military is using public funds that come from tax collections whereas the street vendor use their food sales and private loans.

The military CONTROLS the government. Why not implement a nationwide food aid program that benefits needy Thais everywhere without having to go to a military base for discounted food? The army selling cheap food to the public smacks of a PR stunt as much as the Government's Blue Flag promotion.

[bil2054]

There will always be people who have nothing good to say or have some smartass remarks to make about the army. But to the poorer people who can buy their food cheap, this is a good thing.

So who is subsidising this? The army or the General population through taxes?

Of course it looks good on the army and I have no doubt it is appreciated, but its hardly coming out of army personnel money as some kind of benevolent act!

It is probably "self funding".

At least partially. The prices probably cover the cost of the ingredients at government purchase rates, and the troops get their pay whatever they happen to be doing. I think it is a good program... sort of a Thai food stamp program. Defo a PR plus.

[bil2054]

Another fine example of short sighted stupidity screwing with market. One would hope posters here might have taken at least one econ class during life. This will have effects of 1. driving real world, profit driven small vendors out of business (does army have to pay off cops for space, btw?) 2. being out of business will mean less taxes to government to pay for this 3. Ultimate goal is to use primary reinforcer (food) to "train" the public to love the military

And this from side that thought rice scheme was bad idea (which it was, but this is similar distortion of reality). How about raising the bridge (higher wages, lower taxes) rather than lowering the river (subsidized feeding of the masses).

Yes, we can see in the photos the huge masses of people utilizing this.

Point the first, the indicated menu is very limited. I doubt few but the very impoverished will make great use of this program. One thing I noticed is that Thais love variety in their meal choices.

Second, how many street vendors pay any kind of taxes? Plenty of deductions available, and anybody with net income less than TB15,000 pays no income tax.

.I may be incorrect, but my reading has led me to believe... none. Sort of deflates two of your points at once.... which is not the purpose, BTW. I just do not see the tax issue being much of a factor.

[Friendly Stranger]

I'm sure the local vendors will be happy with this public service or not.

Who has all the guns??

Good for them for doing this. Need more stories like this.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

There will always be people who have nothing good to say or have some smartass remarks to make about the army. But to the poorer people who can buy their food cheap, this is a good thing.

Now we know why they stopped the cheap food vendors and evicted them from the public side walks so that the army could have a monopoly on cheap food.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Army rations should be free free...

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

You gotta give the army credit. They not as dump as that army mascot makes them look. You'll see that mascot like you see McDonald's Ronald. Psychology 101 and 2.0

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Hi there boys and girls! My name is Cheap Charlie and when you see me think of cheap food and a military career. Lol

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Hi there boys and girls! My name is Cheap Charlie and when you see me think of cheap food and a military career. Lol

Said it twice because it's twice as funny the second time.. Lol

[bheard]

Menu sounds OK.

Let's hope it meets the standards required to meet the health departments' newly stated goals - i e reduce obesity to below 10% and increase average height of children . . . Phhhtttt

[bamnutsak]

http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/govt-launches-community-budget-food-centers-to-help-consumers/100107/

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/775949-thailands-department-of-internal-trade-imposes-control-on-food-prices/

http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/thai-commerce-min-to-launch-136-low-cost-stores-nationwide/96087/

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795286-ministry-to-help-low-income-earners-buy-cooking-gas-at-low-price/

[billd766]

There will always be people who have nothing good to say or have some smartass remarks to make about the army. But to the poorer people who can buy their food cheap, this is a good thing.

So who is subsidising this? The army or the General population through taxes?

Of course it looks good on the army and I have no doubt it is appreciated, but its hardly coming out of army personnel money as some kind of benevolent act!

Who cares? It is not costing YOU anything and the Thai people are the ones to benefit.

Are YOU providing cheap food to poor Thais who live near you at YOUR expense?

Hesu Cristos, you are a mean spirited person.

[Craig krup]

Sort of expecting this.

A British government minister, too "embedded" after spending time with UK troops, repeated the remark that MRE stood for "Meals Rejected by Ethiopians". Ouch. Before you release your mouth ensure that you've locked and loaded your brain, or some such metaphor

[billd766]

I like Meatloaf - "bat out of hell - I saw paradise in the dashboard light" was one of the all time greats. But MREs were not a patch on Compo. The old tinned variety, cheese possessed, spina bifida chicken, babies heads,tubes off condensed milk and 20 year old bars of chocolate sealed in a tin. We kept the Russians east of the Elbe for 40 years on a diet of that (and Herforder Pils)! Don't listen to Haggis, only a boy could get excited about strawberry milkshake in a packet!

Don't forget those compo sausages made with real meat, tinned bacon, oatmeal blocks and that wonderful shiny toilet paper.

[Craig krup]

I like Meatloaf - "bat out of hell - I saw paradise in the dashboard light" was one of the all time greats. But MREs were not a patch on Compo. The old tinned variety, cheese possessed, spina bifida chicken, babies heads,tubes off condensed milk and 20 year old bars of chocolate sealed in a tin. We kept the Russians east of the Elbe for 40 years on a diet of that (and Herforder Pils)! Don't listen to Haggis, only a boy could get excited about strawberry milkshake in a packet!

Cheese possessed (sic). Jesus wept, that was foul. Steak and kidney pudding when absolutely everyone would have taken the chicken curry every meal. Four menus, and three were bogging.

On Lionheart the TA supply chain completely collapsed. They were inverting 10 man packs, and "dinner" meant picking a tin looking only at the blank base. "Woo hoo; apple crumble". Or, "Instant coffee? What am I supposed to do with a tin of coffee powder?"

Edited July 18, 2015 by Craig krup

[Craig krup]

I like Meatloaf - "bat out of hell - I saw paradise in the dashboard light" was one of the all time greats. But MREs were not a patch on Compo. The old tinned variety, cheese possessed, spina bifida chicken, babies heads,tubes off condensed milk and 20 year old bars of chocolate sealed in a tin. We kept the Russians east of the Elbe for 40 years on a diet of that (and Herforder Pils)! Don't listen to Haggis, only a boy could get excited about strawberry milkshake in a packet!

Don't forget those compo sausages made with real meat, tinned bacon, oatmeal blocks and that wonderful shiny toilet paper.

Ever tried heating bacon grill when you aren't actually soaked and starving? That was one ******* foul product. They should have tried frying a few slices at Guantanamo Bay. I'd have said anything to avoid that smell.

[baboon]

I like Meatloaf - "bat out of hell - I saw paradise in the dashboard light" was one of the all time greats. But MREs were not a patch on Compo. The old tinned variety, cheese possessed, spina bifida chicken, babies heads,tubes off condensed milk and 20 year old bars of chocolate sealed in a tin. We kept the Russians east of the Elbe for 40 years on a diet of that (and Herforder Pils)! Don't listen to Haggis, only a boy could get excited about strawberry milkshake in a packet!

Don't forget those compo sausages made with real meat, tinned bacon, oatmeal blocks and that wonderful shiny toilet paper.

Sorry to go off topic gents, but why on earth would anyone join the army if the vile food is any indication of how much they value your service?

[Fat Haggis]

I like Meatloaf - "bat out of hell - I saw paradise in the dashboard light" was one of the all time greats. But MREs were not a patch on Compo. The old tinned variety, cheese possessed, spina bifida chicken, babies heads,tubes off condensed milk and 20 year old bars of chocolate sealed in a tin. We kept the Russians east of the Elbe for 40 years on a diet of that (and Herforder Pils)! Don't listen to Haggis, only a boy could get excited about strawberry milkshake in a packet!

Don't forget those compo sausages made with real meat, tinned bacon, oatmeal blocks and that wonderful shiny toilet paper.

Sorry to go off topic gents, but why on earth would anyone join the army if the vile food is any indication of how much they value your service?

because you also got to, go sailing, kite surfing, swimming, canoeing, abseiling, scuba diving, skydiving, trench digging, endless tabbing oh and kill bad people!!

[Craig krup]

Sorry to go off topic gents, but why on earth would anyone join the army if the vile food is any indication of how much they value your service?

because you also got to, go sailing, kite surfing, swimming, canoeing, abseiling, scuba diving, skydiving, trench digging, endless tabbing oh and kill bad people!!

When did young people get so po-faced? The other day I repeated the quip - "Join the army, travel the world, go to interesting places, meet interesting people........and kill them" - and it very much received a "Who far**d?" response. I think that they think that if you're over 50 you're almost certainly a fascist. I really resent that. My grandfather died in one of the camps. He got plastered and fell out of a watch tower.

[They don't laugh at that one either].

[baboon]

I like Meatloaf - "bat out of hell - I saw paradise in the dashboard light" was one of the all time greats. But MREs were not a patch on Compo. The old tinned variety, cheese possessed, spina bifida chicken, babies heads,tubes off condensed milk and 20 year old bars of chocolate sealed in a tin. We kept the Russians east of the Elbe for 40 years on a diet of that (and Herforder Pils)! Don't listen to Haggis, only a boy could get excited about strawberry milkshake in a packet!

Don't forget those compo sausages made with real meat, tinned bacon, oatmeal blocks and that wonderful shiny toilet paper.

Sorry to go off topic gents, but why on earth would anyone join the army if the vile food is any indication of how much they value your service?

because you also got to, go sailing, kite surfing, swimming, canoeing, abseiling, scuba diving, skydiving, trench digging, endless tabbing oh and kill bad people!!

You don't need to join the army to do any of those, though I will admit the last one on your list might land one in a spot of bother...

[Assurancetourix]

Maybe they pick the idea in France ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restaurants_du_C%C5%93ur

[Solomon]

So the army are branching out into retail...

What next.... 7-11's with camouflage signs so you drive straight past them without noticing them..

It's called helping the people, this is a good thing they are doing...One of the best things I have seen in LOS.

It's called propaganda, it will fail, they will get kicked out and it will be a good thing.

[DrTuner]

So this is the stuff that'll make Thais grow 10cm and gain 10 IQ points, right?