Prawit denies ordering Navy to buy Chinese submarines

[webfact]

Prawit denies ordering Navy to buy Chinese submarines 
By The Nation

 

Filephoto: Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan.

 

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan said on Monday that neither he nor Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha had told the Royal Thai Navy to buy three submarines from China.

 

.Who would listen to us even if we gave an order?” he said.

 

Prawit was responding to media speculation that leaders of the government and National Council for Peace and Order had ordered the Navy to buy the submarines in return for Beijing siding with the junta after its 2014 coup upset Thai-US relations.

 

The speculation arose after Navy admirals acknowledged that the Chinese subs are inferior to vessels available from other countries.

 

Prawit insisted that a committee comprised of 40 to 50 members decided on its own to purchase the Chinese subs after comparing prices among vendor nations. The Navy had been mulling the deal for more than 10 years, he said.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/breakingnews/30313899

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-05-01

[colinneil]

Who would listen to us, even if we gave  an order.

You will buy Chinese subs, or go look for another job, my new merc is already on order.

[Ricardo]

" The Navy had been mulling the deal for more than 10 years, he said. "

 

Yes, but every other government had said "No !", until yours, DPM.

 

And as for the idea that  " a committee comprised of 40 to 50 members decided on its own to purchase the Chinese subs" as he claims,  well I'm sorry but I just don't agree that the committee acted, without the approval of the Defence Minister & his boss. 

 

If true, then the government should immediately reassert their authority, and cancel the unauthorised contract, and reassert their control over these people, who are making them look silly. 

 

Go back to basics, consult with your AEAN-allies, and then develop a regional defence-strategy which makes more sense, if one's allies already have similar submarines, then perhaps consider focussing defence-spending on anti-submarine systems, as part of the total mix ?

 

Still room for the desired brown-envelopes, but cheaper & more relevant, than these supposedly-unauthorised subs.

[trainman34014]

When in a corner take the easy way out and blame 40 to 50 other people and let them all start pointing fingers at each other.   The Junta Circus rolls on.

[yellowboat]

It would seem that the junta is beginning to fear legacy of their decisions, diminishing the future stature and influence of the army.

[ChrisY1]

He's the Minister of Defence.....he doesn't need to tell the navy to buy anything...it should be the ministry' decision....and the ministry should hold the purse strings..like normal countries!

[worgeordie]

Maybe they did not actually mention China,but said you

must choose a country North of Bangkok.

regards worgeordie

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

Okay sir you did not instruct them to buy the subs, but my question is what did you do to stop them buying the subs ?

[TheFishman1]

The whole Think smells fishy TIT

[chuang]

Smell a RAT...

[elgordo38]

23 hours ago, webfact said:

.Who would listen to us even if we gave an order?” he said.

I am scratching my head on this one. Who is this man and his political position again. Oh yes Deputy Prime Minister AND Defense Minister AKA Mr. Done Deal.

Edited May 2, 2017 by elgordo38

[elgordo38]

5 hours ago, yellowboat said:

It would seem that the junta is beginning to fear legacy of their decisions, diminishing the future stature and influence of the army.

They could top up their tank purchase to satisfy them but I did read in a local English Newspaper which shall go unnamed that their tank order was cut back from 90 some to 60. They quoted the reason being insufficient funds. Interesting. 

[rkidlad]

Well, if 'the navy' do buy the subs and this goes horribly wrong (which it will), you can blame everyone else. Nice fall back saying "Who would listen to us even if we did given an order?". No one does, and that's why you need the guns. 

 

The buck always stops with the people at the top. 

[elgordo38]

36 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

Well, if 'the navy' do buy the subs and this goes horribly wrong (which it will), you can blame everyone else. Nice fall back saying "Who would listen to us even if we did given an order?". No one does, and that's why you need the guns. 

 

The buck always stops with the people at the top. 

Yes that is the old old saying but then there are the buck passers who seem to be overpowering the old phrase "the buck stops here"

[elgordo38]

4 hours ago, SOUTHERNSTAR said:

Okay sir you did not instruct them to buy the subs, but my question is what did you do to stop them buying the subs ?

Time for a Sgt. Schultz answer. 

[Sydebolle]

5 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Maybe they did not actually mention China,but said you

must choose a country North of Bangkok.

regards worgeordie

Laos - possibly? Naahhh, their submarine port is presently rather a dry dock and not accessible as too much water is dammed by their brethren in their North ;-) 

[Jonmarleesco]

'The speculation arose after Navy admirals acknowledged that the Chinese subs are inferior to vessels available from other countries ... Prawit insisted that a committee comprised of 40 to 50 members decided on its own to purchase the Chinese subs ...'

 

40 to 50 committee members, to decide on buying submarines that no one else wants, the country can't utilise and naval admirals admit aren't particularly good. So those members were experts in what, precisely?

[Srikcir]

On 5/1/2017 at 1:31 PM, webfact said:

Who would listen to us even if we gave an order?”

Under Article 44 - everyone!

[lvr181]

On 5/2/2017 at 4:11 PM, rkidlad said:

Well, if 'the navy' do buy the subs and this goes horribly wrong (which it will), you can blame everyone else. Nice fall back saying "Who would listen to us even if we did given an order?". No one does, and that's why you need the guns. 

 

The buck always stops with the people at the top. 

NOT in this country!

[Eric Loh]

They bought an inferior fleet of submarines. That sound like malfeasance or dereliction of duty punishable by impeachment and seizure of assets. No?