Military takes stock of US-made hardware ahead of Prayut's visit to Washington

[webfact]

Military takes stock of US-made hardware ahead of Prayut's visit to Washington

By The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- The military is taking stock of its US-made military hardware ahead of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s visit to Washington late next month.

 

Government officials widely anticipate that US President Donald Trump might offer to increase military hardware sales, while Thailand has heavily relied on China for procurements in recent years. 

 

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan on Monday ordered military chiefs to complete inventories this month to enable the premier to have adequate information before his departure to the White House.

 

One of issues Prayut would raise with Trump would be about the military hardware that the US had provided to Thailand over the past decade – and also what Thailand expected to receive in the future, according to Defence Ministry spokesperson Maj-General Kongcheep Tantrawanich.

 

However, Kongcheep insisted that did not mean Thailand expected to agree on military purchases from the US any time soon. 

 

“It is a general procedure to make lists of what Thailand needs based on strategy and forward them for the PM’s consideration to provide him with a holistic picture,” he said. “Other agencies follow this procedure as well.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30319186

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-06-27

[yellowboat]

It also does not hurt to try to curry favor by showing the Donald that Thailand, along with Taiwan, buys US weapons. 

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

"and also what Thailand expected to receive in the future"

So this is the real purpose for the trip, to beg for new weapons from US? 

[darksidedog]

More money on weapons and less on hospitals, schools and Infrastructure? Given the coffers are essentially empty, one wonders how much debt will be incurred for things not really needed, but that give the PM a hard on.

[ezzra]

Thailand need more and more better and sophisticated equipment

and hardware of war to fight it's imaginary enemies, while today we

read that 24,000 kids are infected with hand, foot and mouth disease..

talking about priorities right?....

Edited June 26, 2017 by ezzra

[Smarter Than You]

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

More money on weapons and less on hospitals, schools and Infrastructure? Given the coffers are essentially empty, one wonders how much debt will be incurred for things not really needed, but that give the PM a hard on.

Its not that Thailand needs more weapons it's more that...

 

"An international think tank monitoring corruption has revealed in its latest report that Thailand’s defence spending is among the least transparent in the world, especially since the 2014 coup d’état."

 

“Since the May 2014 military coup, there has been no independent scrutiny of defence policy by the legislature, a lack of budget transparency, and insufficient institutional measures concerning most aspects of the procurement cycle,” according to the GI index summary."

 

"The index points out that the Thai military’s procurement on average sees an increase of 30-40 per cent over normal market prices during the procurement process, where certain middlemen benefit through unregulated competition."

 

...there's money to be made.

[al007]

1 hour ago, Smarter Than You said:

 

"The index points out that the Thai military’s procurement on average sees an increase of 30-40 per cent over normal market prices during the procurement process, where certain middlemen benefit through unregulated competition."

 

WOW, and a very big WOW

 

However at least the General is going to the USA, and Trump maybe one of the few World Leaders the General might listen to, remember he was summoned to Washington, albeit under the guise of a Party !

 

Hopefully for Thailand a move forward

[Eric Loh]

He is going with a list of spare parts for some old US made equipments that have been given or bought and not hardware like planes and tanks. Congress will never agree to selling to coup government. Prawit just blowing smoke like USA support Thailand coup government. What a chuckle 

[mtls2005]

Jared is probably busy fashioning a deal by getting extra discounts lined up  from GD et al.

 

No clue which weapons the U.S. might have which Thailand desires? 

[Raymonddiaz]

these men in uniform act like kids in front of toys. How a non elected body can use a tax  payers money without any accountability to buy non essential things. 

Shame on you retarded people.

 

 

 

 

[Chip Allen]

Thailand obviously needs weapons to stave off those periodic invasions from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Trump and Prayut should get along famously.

[wwest5829]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

Thailand need more and more better and sophisticated equipment

and hardware of war to fight it's imaginary enemies, while today we

read that 24,000 kids are infected with hand, foot and mouth disease..

talking about priorities right?....

Thailand is thinking correctly, in this case. This US administration has increased its own military spending while cutting social program spending. Now is the correct time to approach The Donald on the need for increased "security" and need to balance Thai reliance on the PRC. Buy US "defense" stocks! (no, I do not support the current thinking).

[CantSpell]

30 minutes ago, Chip Allen said:

Thailand obviously needs weapons to stave off those periodic invasions from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Trump and Prayut should get along famously.

Rather against the sick, the uneducated and the poor...

Got to keep those in check you know

[Beats56]

Military man is chasing his tail.

Buy modern weapons for big bucks that will soon be outdated. Weapons development is ever changing. Only big rich countries can stay ahead of the curve. Better to spend money on helping the people with health roads and trains.

 

 

[Happyman58]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

Jared is probably busy fashioning a deal by getting extra discounts lined up  from GD et al.

 

No clue which weapons the U.S. might have which Thailand desires? 

Only desire USA wants is airfileds

[Jonmarleesco]

The subs? As opposed to tin baths with lids.

[halloween]

7 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

"and also what Thailand expected to receive in the future"

So this is the real purpose for the trip, to beg for new weapons from US? 

I hope you're not under the impression that the world's largest arms dealer gives away its merchandise.

[Smarter Than You]

4 minutes ago, halloween said:

I hope you're not under the impression that the world's largest arms dealer gives away its merchandise.

Of course they don't.

 

The US Agrees to Give Israel Record $38 Billion in Military Aid - Fortune

[halloween]

4 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

He is going with a list of spare parts for some old US made equipments that have been given or bought and not hardware like planes and tanks. Congress will never agree to selling to coup government. Prawit just blowing smoke like USA support Thailand coup government. What a chuckle 

Ever heard of Egypt? Or are you in denial?

 

"Egypt receives $1.3 billion in annual military aid from the US, and under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi it has also made major purchases from other exporting countries, including Russia and France." https://www.madamasr.com/en/2016/12/27/news/u/us-report-egypt-topped-developing-countries-in-arms-imports-in-2015/

[Eric Loh]

4 minutes ago, halloween said:

Ever heard of Egypt? Or are you in denial?

 

"Egypt receives $1.3 billion in annual military aid from the US, and under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi it has also made major purchases from other exporting countries, including Russia and France." https://www.madamasr.com/en/2016/12/27/news/u/us-report-egypt-topped-developing-countries-in-arms-imports-in-2015/

Heard it well and an elected President Abdel by a majority. Still denying Prayut is a non elected Prime Minister. 

 

Anyway, Trump not seeing an insignificant non elected PM and gave the easiest of excuse that he will be busy. What an embarrassment for the junta PM. 

[halloween]

10 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Heard it well and an elected President Abdel by a majority. Still denying Prayut is a non elected Prime Minister. 

 

Anyway, Trump not seeing an insignificant non elected PM and gave the easiest of excuse that he will be busy. What an embarrassment for the junta PM. 

and the arms deals kept going from the time of the coup until his election. I'm sure Trump will manage to find a salesman or two.

Edited June 27, 2017 by halloween

[Becker]

16 minutes ago, halloween said:

and the arms deals kept going from the time of the coup until his election. I'm sure Trump will manage to find a salesman or two.

What? Two posts in this thread already defending the junta and you haven't mentioned Thaksin yet?

You must be getting old, halloween.

How about sticking to the topic at hand instead of the usual deflections.

Care to comment on post #6?

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

51 minutes ago, halloween said:

I hope you're not under the impression that the world's largest arms dealer gives away its merchandise.

Yes I am

http://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-aid-to-thailand-2014-5

Edited June 27, 2017 by HiSoLowSoNoSo

[halloween]

11 minutes ago, Becker said:

What? Two posts in this thread already defending the junta and you haven't mentioned Thaksin yet?

You must be getting old, halloween.

How about sticking to the topic at hand instead of the usual deflections.

Care to comment on post #6?

Unlike you, I don't try to defend the indefensible. What I try to do is point out the mindless criticism of the junta simply because it is the junta, and point out that things were much worse under the Shin criminal conspiracies.

To start with, Thai military spending (as a percentage of GDP) isn't particularly high by world standards, less than average. Yet for almost any subject there will be someone, like you for example, sprouting mindlessly about submarines or tanks. On a visit to the world's largest arms market, I'm sure there will be some window shopping. Eric seems to think the US won't sell to a coup government, and ignores el-Sisi, a real shining light of democracy.

 

BTW you might consider the hypocrisy in the criticism of Thai military spending when your own country spends far more, and is one of (if not) the largest sellers.

[Becker]

1 hour ago, halloween said:

Unlike you, I don't try to defend the indefensible. What I try to do is point out the mindless criticism of the junta simply because it is the junta, and point out that things were much worse under the Shin criminal conspiracies.

To start with, Thai military spending (as a percentage of GDP) isn't particularly high by world standards, less than average. Yet for almost any subject there will be someone, like you for example, sprouting mindlessly about submarines or tanks. On a visit to the world's largest arms market, I'm sure there will be some window shopping. Eric seems to think the US won't sell to a coup government, and ignores el-Sisi, a real shining light of democracy.

 

BTW you might consider the hypocrisy in the criticism of Thai military spending when your own country spends far more, and is one of (if not) the largest sellers.

555555! Here your disconnect really shows. You start off by saying you don't defend the indefensible and then you proceed to do just that. Priceless!

 

BTW, when a democratically elected government decides to spend a lot on the military then that's up to them. If the voters don't like it then they can remove them from power.

See where I'm going with this?

[halloween]

Just now, Becker said:

555555! Here your disconnect really shows. You start off by saying you don't defend the indefensible and then you proceed to do just that. Priceless!

 

BTW, when a democratically elected government decides to spend a lot on the military then that's up to them. If the voters don't like it then they can remove them from power.

See where I'm going with this?

Where you usually go, round in circles.

[Becker]

3 hours ago, halloween said:

Where you usually go, round in circles.

A simple "no" would have sufficed.

[Ricardo]

10 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

Spot on.

 

Remarkable how some people cannot grasp simple facts like these and are still obsessed with Thaksin.

 

So the Thai military are buying stuff at 30%-40% above-normal ?

 

Remind me once again, what was the mark-up over market-price, that the last Shin-government was happy to pay for rice ?

 

Surely not even more than that !

 

How about, we all agree, that paying-too-much is wrong, whoever does it ?

 

Thailand is too poor to be able to afford rip-off politicians and governments !

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

2 minutes ago, Ricardo said:

 

So the Thai military are buying stuff at 30%-40% above-normal ?

 

Remind me once again, what was the mark-up over market-price, that the last Shin-government was happy to pay for rice ?

 

Surely not even more than that !

 

How about, we all agree, that paying-too-much is wrong, whoever does it ?

 

Thailand is too poor to be able to afford rip-off politicians and governments !

"Thailand is too poor to be able to afford rip-off politicians and governments ! "

 

The very sad thing is that they never seems to get rid of them.

[Stargeezr]

Please do not go buying any of the F35 Jets, I think they are way over priced for what kind

if jet they claim to be.  The hummers are not very good, although the Bisons can take almost

any road side bomb, as long as they do not drive directly over them.

  Not too sure about those Osprey helicopters as well.

Geezer