Army reshuffle gives Prayut another headache

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
Army reshuffle gives Prayut another headache
The Nation

PM'S "BLOOD TIES" WILL FACE BROAD SCRUTINY

BANGKOK: -- In a few weeks, another important issue will compete with the constitutional "reform" as headline news. The upcoming military reshuffle has added significance thanks to the national situation and blood ties between Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and one candidate for the top Army post. Politically, it will be vociferous and tense, perhaps paving the way for another round of scary rumours.

Prayut has made an interesting vow, which is probably as important as his pledge to crack down on corruption. The coup-maker, who has received a fair share of international criticism, discussed the issue of who would be the next Army chief during an interview at Government House on June 2. Essentially, he said his brother would not enjoy special treatment when the decision is made on the most powerful military post.

Prayut, chief of National Council for Peace and Order, faces the potentially explosive issue of who will replace General Udomdej Sitabutr, who retires as the Army commander-in-chief in September. Prayut promised that the selection of the new Army chief will be based on qualifications and not personal connections. That is the same thing Thailand's powers-that-be have been saying over and over and which has never amounted to anything but rhetoric.

Prayut's constitutional "reform" road map is tough, but how he deals with the issue of military transition is harder. On the one hand, Prayut needs to consolidate. On the other hand, he needs to prove that he is beyond nepotism, or he will fall into the same category as the ones he often criticises. With Udomdej's retirement approaching, the succession issue will provide a great distraction both for the prime minister and the whole of Thailand.

The position of Army chief has long been considered to be important to any government's stability. Even governments with big popular mandate were unable to escape the lure of nepotism or shake off the feeling of insecurity when the big military position was concerned. One infamous example was the rise to the post of General Chaiyasit Shinawatra, a cousin of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in 2003.

That Prayut needs to consolidate is understandable, if not desirable. He will need solid military support going into the crucial phase of his "reform" agenda. Both sides of the Thai divide are watching him closely, one camp more so than the other. Signs that Prayut will have to stay in power longer than he said he would were believed to be one of the causes of rumours about a "counter-coup". Simply put, Prayut will soon be needing full military backing, more than ever.

To further complicate his situation, it's not just about divided Thais. Not everyone in the military will be happy if Prayut's younger brother rises to power.

It was speculated that if General Preecha Chan-o-cha, an Army assistant chief and younger brother of Prayut, becomes the next Army chief, those supporting General Thirachai Nakwanit, the other Army assistant chief, would be dissatisfied. In the Thai political and military contexts, senior Armed Forces' "dissatisfaction" is a big deal.

And it won't be just Thirachai's supporters. Although Preecha and Thirachai can be assumed to be from the same military power clique, there are factions that want to see the top Army post not monopolised by the "Burapha Phayak" people, who are in control at the moment.

A really testing period is approaching. In his June 2 interview, Prayut asked the media not to create trouble "out of nothing". If he is right on other things, he's wrong about military reshuffles being the media's imaginary trouble. And the proof may be just a few weeks away.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Army-reshuffle-gives-Prayut-another-headache-30266264.html

-- The Nation 2015-08-10

[gk10002000]

"...The position of Army chief has long been considered to be important to any government's stability.." And therein lies the problem. regime after regime, coup after coup, since the civilians can not seem to ever be in control of the country. Amazing in all my travels and in this modern age that such a military system keeps getting promulgated in Thailand

[EnzoRippo]

So they though The Shin's away beause it's was a clan accused of nepotism, then Junta Leader came and promoted members of his family but this is ot nepotism just "right man at the right place". OK

Corruption is still here

Nepotism is still here

Why not after all?

Maybe this is Thainess and we should repect that!

Edited August 9, 2015 by EnzoRippo

[h90]

So they though The Shin's away beause it's was a clan accused of nepotism, then Junta Leader came and promoted members of his family but this is ot nepotism just "right man at the right place". OK

Corruption is still here

Nepotism is still here

Why not after all?

Maybe this is Thainess and we should repect that!

I think there is no other choice (neither for the Shin's nor for Prayut). If you want someone loyal it is difficult.

I remember when Thaksin made Samak his premier and than Samak thought he can decide things himself and didn't follow orders and it went horrible wrong.

So he made his brother in law PM and later his sister......Didn't work well because of incompetence. So whatever you do it is wrong.....

[tx22cb]

The Haters loathe Prayut already, and will not change if the brother is appointed.

His supporters will love him no matter what he does.

So why not?

Qualification: must side with me all the time, must be 100% loyal and trustworthy, must do everything I say.

So obviously the brother is the most suitable person.

Just add another criterion to be certain - must not believe in fratricide.

[lildragon]

His brother will get the job. I'd have more respect if he was honest about it and just said "screw qualifications, I want by power solidified" cos that's basically what's happening.

[BSJ]

Is the pope catholic?

[bamnutsak]

The long simmering feud between the competing RTA factions: Burapa Payak (Eastern Tigers) and Wong Thewan, will become a bit more of an issue the longer that the former marginalizes the latter.

The obvious choice would be to alternate, like they do with top monk and the two Buddhist factions, but the Eastern Tiger faction probably fears that it is too late for reconciliation?

[Prbkk]

What is the salary? This family must be very frugal to have accumulated such wealth from being public servants. A role model for all Thais.

[Bodene]

What is the salary? This family must be very frugal to have accumulated such wealth from being public servants. A role model for all Thais.

Indeed. 600m on a soldier's wage.

And the other one so highly valued the army gave him several of their own bank accounts.

Remarkable people all around really. And honest to a fault.

[bamnutsak]

Well he told that his family was rich before.

I thought that he, like most, "married well"?

Best not to look into familial histories here; a bit like seeing how they make hot dogs.

[lvr181]

Whether you like the current Government or not - get over it, that is the way it is. Stop babbling on about democracy as it is practiced in the West. It did not work in Thailand recently for a number of reasons (unless you are a supporter of corruption and nepotism - which can happen in a western democracy as well, just not as blatant).

Whatever the current PM does, he will be damned for doing and damned for not doing by others! That is life. I am not a supporter of military takeovers, but I am not a supporter of blatant corruption either.

At the very least the NCPO paid the farmers what was due to them! Sure the country needs to be improved economically and military leaders are probably not best suited for this but they could bring in some economic experts from outside the country to provide some advice? Can it happen?

[Neeranam]

Is there anyone here that wouldn't help their own family in Thailand ? I certainly would in this country.

[tbthailand]

Well he told that his family was rich before.

I thought that he, like most, "married well"?

Best not to look into familial histories here; a bit like seeing how they make hot dogs.

his dad was a military man before him....

That should explain how they were so "rich before", as it were...

[h90]

Well he told that his family was rich before.

I thought that he, like most, "married well"?

Best not to look into familial histories here; a bit like seeing how they make hot dogs.

his dad was a military man before him....

That should explain how they were so "rich before", as it were...

Could be that his wife was rich?

[smedly]

"...The position of Army chief has long been considered to be important to any government's stability.." And therein lies the problem. regime after regime, coup after coup, since the civilians can not seem to ever be in control of the country. Amazing in all my travels and in this modern age that such a military system keeps getting promulgated in Thailand

Well the last coups were only against illegal regimes after failed elections. The problem lies in the fake elections, vote buying, missing checks and balances and weak legal system that should put corrupt, power abusing politicians in jail years before the situation degrades that bad that a coup is necessary.

couldn't have put that better myself.

In saying that I had hope that Payuth Chan (O) Cha was going to be strong enough to take on the challenge of finally getting a working system and getting rid of the Thieves and abusers that have been in office for decades, after a year I am not so confident, I think he has lost his momentum and dropped the ball paying too much attention to critics, he took on a daunting task, I hope he can see it through

[FangFerang]

"...The position of Army chief has long been considered to be important to any government's stability.." And therein lies the problem. regime after regime, coup after coup, since the civilians can not seem to ever be in control of the country. Amazing in all my travels and in this modern age that such a military system keeps getting promulgated in Thailand

Well the last coups were only against illegal regimes after failed elections. The problem lies in the fake elections, vote buying, missing checks and balances and weak legal system that should put corrupt, power abusing politicians in jail years before the situation degrades that bad that a coup is necessary.

You are categorically and historically incorrect, h90. Thai history professors all agree that the 18 coups happened because the ruling families had their power bases threatened. Each coup made the same declarations of those in power being corrupt, and needing to save the nation. None of those coups were effective in doing anything about the very issues the coup makers declared as reasons for their coups, not a single one.

The coups were effective in one thing and one thing only -- in removing "undesirables" from the political landscape.

[Jai Dee]

One flame post and subsequent replies have been removed from this thread.

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[metisdead]

Off topic posts and replies have been removed as well.

[Jimlove]

So they though The Shin's away beause it's was a clan accused of nepotism, then Junta Leader came and promoted members of his family but this is ot nepotism just "right man at the right place". OK

Corruption is still here

Nepotism is still here

Why not after all?

Maybe this is Thainess and we should repect that!

No matter where I live, I will never respect Idiocy ...

[tbthailand]

Well he told that his family was rich before.

I thought that he, like most, "married well"?

Best not to look into familial histories here; a bit like seeing how they make hot dogs.

his dad was a military man before him....

That should explain how they were so "rich before", as it were...

Could be that his wife was rich?

his Dad was the one who owned the 600 million Bhat worth of property which sold through a complex web of short-term, off-shore companies.

So maybe it was his mom who was rich...

[Anthony5]

So they though The Shin's away beause it's was a clan accused of nepotism, then Junta Leader came and promoted members of his family but this is ot nepotism just "right man at the right place". OK

Corruption is still here

Nepotism is still here

Why not after all?

Maybe this is Thainess and we should repect that!

I think there is no other choice (neither for the Shin's nor for Prayut). If you want someone loyal it is difficult.

I remember when Thaksin made Samak his premier and than Samak thought he can decide things himself and didn't follow orders and it went horrible wrong.

So he made his brother in law PM and later his sister......Didn't work well because of incompetence. So whatever you do it is wrong.....

And there was me thinking that in such a position competence would be of more importance than loyalty.

[jesimps]

Whether you like the current Government or not - get over it, that is the way it is. Stop babbling on about democracy as it is practiced in the West. It did not work in Thailand recently for a number of reasons (unless you are a supporter of corruption and nepotism - which can happen in a western democracy as well, just not as blatant).

Whatever the current PM does, he will be damned for doing and damned for not doing by others! That is life. I am not a supporter of military takeovers, but I am not a supporter of blatant corruption either.

At the very least the NCPO paid the farmers what was due to them! Sure the country needs to be improved economically and military leaders are probably not best suited for this but they could bring in some economic experts from outside the country to provide some advice? Can it happen?

Anyone else on here who feels like ripping the head off someone who says "Get over it"? It's definitely a favourite of the junta groupies.

Edited August 10, 2015 by jesimps

[tigermoth]

"...The position of Army chief has long been considered to be important to any government's stability.." And therein lies the problem. regime after regime, coup after coup, since the civilians can not seem to ever be in control of the country. Amazing in all my travels and in this modern age that such a military system keeps getting promulgated in Thailand

In almost all democratic countries, certainly UK, Australia, NZ etc, the constitution separates the military and politics with the only time the Government and military come together is in matters of the defence of the country against foreign attack or in some cases a national emergency, i.e. floods, earthquake etc. Even in the defence of the country the government's intervention is only in the initial decision of defence. The remainder is then in the hands of the military with no politics involved, Sadly, Thailand has it so mixed up that it is now impossible to separate the two and the present situation has no civilian, (peoples), involvement.

[bamnutsak]

Anyone else on here who feels like ripping the head off someone who says "Get over it". It's definitely a favourite of the junta groupies.

No. Better to add them to your Ignore list. It's not like they add anything new to a discussion except, "But, but, Thaksin...". (They sound like a Tuk-Tuk.)

Nepotism, Thaksin, evil, bad, blah, blah, blah.

Nepotism, Field Marshall Prayut, keep up the good work.

Edited August 10, 2015 by bamnutsak

[h90]

So they though The Shin's away beause it's was a clan accused of nepotism, then Junta Leader came and promoted members of his family but this is ot nepotism just "right man at the right place". OK

Corruption is still here

Nepotism is still here

Why not after all?

Maybe this is Thainess and we should repect that!

I think there is no other choice (neither for the Shin's nor for Prayut). If you want someone loyal it is difficult.

I remember when Thaksin made Samak his premier and than Samak thought he can decide things himself and didn't follow orders and it went horrible wrong.

So he made his brother in law PM and later his sister......Didn't work well because of incompetence. So whatever you do it is wrong.....

And there was me thinking that in such a position competence would be of more importance than loyalty.

No it is not.....What sales-manager would you prefer in your company? A silly one that is loyal or a smart one that sells all your customer base to your competitors?

[h90]

"...The position of Army chief has long been considered to be important to any government's stability.." And therein lies the problem. regime after regime, coup after coup, since the civilians can not seem to ever be in control of the country. Amazing in all my travels and in this modern age that such a military system keeps getting promulgated in Thailand

Well the last coups were only against illegal regimes after failed elections. The problem lies in the fake elections, vote buying, missing checks and balances and weak legal system that should put corrupt, power abusing politicians in jail years before the situation degrades that bad that a coup is necessary.

couldn't have put that better myself.

In saying that I had hope that Payuth Chan (O) Cha was going to be strong enough to take on the challenge of finally getting a working system and getting rid of the Thieves and abusers that have been in office for decades, after a year I am not so confident, I think he has lost his momentum and dropped the ball paying too much attention to critics, he took on a daunting task, I hope he can see it through

I doubt it, I can see that he is blocked at every level from the cronies of the old power. He can't exchange all top and middle level bureaucracy, he can't fire the complete police force. If he tries to cancel all stupid laws to help the legal system than for every single law some small group would protest and with every protest the international community will shout "dictator". The problem is just too deep rooted that anyone but a real ugly dictator can change things in less than 20 years. So short term I see him failing. Long term he might have started something that develops on itself.

[Ulic]

What is the world coming too when you can't help a family member when you are a countries

prime minister.

[Bodene]

"...The position of Army chief has long been considered to be important to any government's stability.." And therein lies the problem. regime after regime, coup after coup, since the civilians can not seem to ever be in control of the country. Amazing in all my travels and in this modern age that such a military system keeps getting promulgated in Thailand

Well the last coups were only against illegal regimes after failed elections. The problem lies in the fake elections, vote buying, missing checks and balances and weak legal system that should put corrupt, power abusing politicians in jail years before the situation degrades that bad that a coup is necessary.

couldn't have put that better myself.

In saying that I had hope that Payuth Chan (O) Cha was going to be strong enough to take on the challenge of finally getting a working system and getting rid of the Thieves and abusers that have been in office for decades, after a year I am not so confident, I think he has lost his momentum and dropped the ball paying too much attention to critics, he took on a daunting task, I hope he can see it through

I doubt it, I can see that he is blocked at every level from the cronies of the old power. He can't exchange all top and middle level bureaucracy, he can't fire the complete police force. If he tries to cancel all stupid laws to help the legal system than for every single law some small group would protest and with every protest the international community will shout "dictator". The problem is just too deep rooted that anyone but a real ugly dictator can change things in less than 20 years. So short term I see him failing. Long term he might have started something that develops on itself.

Perhaps you didn't recognise that he might be a crony of the old power himself so it may not be a case that he is 'blocked' I think you project your own aspirations and beliefs onto him. I think you're wrong, he has made his personal views and tendencies very clear on a number of occasions.

Perhaps his background and conditioning also make them pretty clear.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Bodene

[Bodene]

"Well the last coups were only against illegal regimes after failed elections. The problem lies in the fake elections, vote buying, missing checks and balances and weak legal system that should put corrupt, power abusing politicians in jail years before the situation degrades that bad that a coup is necessary."

Well. A failed election is not a fake election or vice-versa. Perhaps you should decide whether you are referring to failed elections or fake elections.

The old mantra about vote buying no longer has any credibility. How many times have international observers declared Thai elections 'substantially free and fair"?

The old mantra about 'weak legal system' also does not hold water. The government is not responsible for, nor has any power over the judiciary. That would be someone else.

The old mantra about "corrupt, power-abusing politicians" doesn't apply either. So far as I recall. there was only one politician accused of corruption and forced to pay a penalty (resigning from parliament rather than face prosecution), and that was Suthep Thaugsuban.

So the argument, the rhetoric and the bile have no real basis in fact. Thailand is corrupt from the bottom to the top so it is futile to take sides based on corruption or dishonesty. Ask the Generalissimo how he amassed 600m baht on a soldiers salary. Ask his brother.

Blaming one side or another just to reinforce your own personal prejudices just doesn't wash and suggests a basic lack of understanding of Thailand.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Bodene