Purchase of armoured personnel carriers 'in national interest'

[wwest5829]

My only reflections come from concerns about the sharing of technologies with China. Thailand will continue to try to balance powerful outside forces to maintain some independence. While western cooperation might allow the west to keep an eye on Chinese technology, the opposite might well be true and so the west will have to be mindful of not allowing Thai access to cutting edge technologies out of concern that this knowledge will be shared with China.

[Searat7]

I assume that the Air Force will drop the next shoe; I am sure they want their share of toys too. 

[Banana7]

7 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

My only reflections come from concerns about the sharing of technologies with China. Thailand will continue to try to balance powerful outside forces to maintain some independence. While western cooperation might allow the west to keep an eye on Chinese technology, the opposite might well be true and so the west will have to be mindful of not allowing Thai access to cutting edge technologies out of concern that this knowledge will be shared with China.

You're probably right. If the US sold Thailand Strykers, then someone with access to them, might allow Chinese military manufacturers to inspect them and make copies.  Maybe even one would become "lost", and find its way to China. Chinese and Thais are very good at copying western products.

 

Edited June 15, 2017 by Banana7

[wvavin]

The Chinese government is laughing until they drop!

[geriatrickid]

2 hours ago, Thechook said:

The only interest is, the military government spending as much as they can on toys before they loose power.

The military has never been out of power.

[ivan96822]

That's quite a bit of baht to invest...

[ivan96822]

Why not spend that money on the Sukhumvit crawler?

[robblok]

27 minutes ago, Banana7 said:

You're probably right. If the US sold Thailand Strykers, then someone with access to them, might allow Chinese military manufacturers to inspect them and make copies.  Maybe even one would become "lost", and find its way to China. Chinese and Thais are very good at copying western products.

 

Do you really think the Chinese have not seen them already or had spies checking them out ? Once its in production and use people check them out. 

 

Anyway problem is the army increased its budget, otherwise I would not have a problem if it came out of their regular budget. The army needs these things more then subs (think about the south). This is a useful purchase.. the tanks and subs not so much but this is. 

 

My only gripe is the increased budget of the army. 

[Kabula]

Hmmmm.....?.?

[chainarong]

One would have thought the Chinese made tanks would have been enough to quall an uprising , however the Junta is just reminding the Thai people they're in-charge , however at the end of the day history has shown this is not the case and never has been.............................

[ben2talk]

2 hours ago, kannot said:

u  lost me when u said "election"???????????????????????? wsssat??

They got messed up with the pronounciation.

 

They'll use these trucks to raid clubs.... they'll pick up a few Twerky dancers and go on patrol.

 

They'll have a small election in the back of the Armoured car - though it'll be too small to notice.

[mikebell]

Thailand's armed forces are spending 30 billion this year on toys (if we include only one sub.) They claim it is to defend the country.  For that money you could invade Singapore/Cambodia and Myanmar.

[hansnl]

1 hour ago, jerojero said:

They can say any excuse for these stupid purchases, including the subs. No body can oppose nor stop them. The essence of a military government. Tax dollars at work with zero return to the country its citizens. Pure b's waste of public money. Sad.

I may presume you have the same complaints about your own government buying military hardware?

Face reality, the existing hardware is nearly 50 years old and at the very end of its lifespan.

That is really enough reason to buy replacements.

Are they needed?

The international relations say yes.

Definitely!

[maybefitz]

As a retired Major, this actually makes sense as a purchase; certainly more than the unuseable submarines. A multi terraine infantry vehicle is certainly a feature of the nation's defence requirements, replacing 40+ year old vehicles. No argument from me.

[Surasak]

3 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

The latest fad ??
Last month was submarines !!

Next month ??
Starship Enterprise ??

Yeah sure, join the queue.

[dieseldave1951]

3 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

The latest fad ??
Last month was submarines !!

Next month ??
Starship Enterprise ??

and don't forget the big guns as well for the marines

 

[The Deerhunter]

2 hours ago, kannot said:

<deleted>  comical!!

purchase had the support of Army experts,     Naturally!!!!!

[Eric Loh]

I can understand any nation need of upgrading military hardware. Problem is that the Thai military had bad records of poor buying decisions and corruptions. Too many examples of bad buys like the GT200, blimp and the infamous aircraft carrier and these were the only we know and perhaps more we don't. The submarines are heading towards another bad buy and many critics have thrown caution to the operational challenges. And surely the timing during this period of economic weakness and low revenue collection should have knocked some sense to the military to delay the purchase but they persisted for reasons of their own and that they hold the power. This is so wrong. 

[brucec64]

I guess that's why they want a maintenance facility in Thailand, they already know they will be breaking down frequently. Money poorly spent, they always buy the cheapest stuff available. They never look at the total cost of ownership.
 
They should have bought the US General Dynamics Land Systems Stryker instead, see below

Dealing with US companies means being subject to worldwide US corruption laws, and makes the payment of "commissions" more difficult. There is probably more wiggle room in the chinese deals.

Sent from my SM-J710F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[brucec64]

Tell her the soldiers in the south, now won't get killed. They are fighting the terrorists, preventing them from coming to kill her and her family, or converting her into a muslim.
 
 Also tell her to declare her income, so she can pay income tax, to buy more bullets. Also ask her to pay the 7% VAT to government for all her sales.

Tell her that the main use of the military in thailand has been in the suppression of their own people, and this suppression has ensured that she can never rise above her station as a coffee vendor making a few baht a day.

Sent from my SM-J710F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[marko kok prong]

What a joke,i can imagine the Thai army in battle ,they would have too stop fighting every 2 hours to eat.

[colinneil]

1 minute ago, marko kok prong said:

What a joke,i can imagine the Thai army in battle ,they would have too stop fighting every 2 hours to eat.

Nice 1 mate,took me 5 minutes to stop laughing after reading your post.

[owl sees all]

37 minutes ago, brucec64 said:

Dealing with US companies means being subject to worldwide US corruption laws, and makes the payment of "commissions" more difficult. There is probably more wiggle room in the chinese deals.

Yes you tell true but a bigger picture is emerging here. Chinese subs, Chinese weaponry, Chinese expertise!!

 

C-o-Ch is off to see Trump soon. It will not have gone unnoticed that the Thai military dictatorship has thrown in with China. The US is aware that the Chinese are simply smothering the whole of SE Asia.

 

Elections!! Why should there be any? Trump has to turn any displeasurable blind eye to the junta in order to get Thailand back on-side and wrest the initiative back from China.

 

Thailand (the military) is playing with fire. Dangerous times ahead.

 

Farang; prepare your exit strategy!!!

.

[Rimbuman]

5 hours ago, Dexlowe said:

... and anti-social bridge players. 

[The Dark Lord]

4 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

The latest fad ??
Last month was submarines !!

Next month ??
Starship Enterprise ??

I hope so such that when we move "down south" we can go visit the TSS Enterprise in Sattahiep next to the Aircraft carrier, three subs, seven APCs...........

[Juan B Tong]

Uber drivers beware!

[pookiki]

The APCs will do as much good in resolving the problems in the South as did the US carpet bombing of North Vietnam.  The problems in the south will not be resolved by an occupying army. It will fester and festers until a workable strategy  is developed by both parties.

 

As for the purchase itself, there is no higher corruption than excessive military spending -- and this applies to any country.  Such spending is completely removed from the economy.  And with the junta, there are no checks and balances whatsoever. 

 

The only service in which these APCs will be of any useful value will be in preventing new elections.

[Chris Lawrence]

A populist program for the Army. Sounds as though the old ones got plenty of use. I would be trying to buy new versions of them due to the longevity they afford.

[digger70]

“We insist that this is a necessity" So he says. So What about THE PEOPLE,We Insist that you get of you're but and take them Carriers down South and clean up this insurgents Mess,,,Yea Right, pigs might fly .

[TheFishman1]

How much money commission does that equal and to who? TIT