Thai Army Reform: A tough new rule – with exceptions

[webfact]

A tough new rule – with exceptions

By The Nation

 

Army chief General Apirat Kongsompong

 

Retired military officers are ordered out of their subsidised homes, except for Prayut, Prawit and the former brass now on the Privy Council.

 

Army chief General Apirat Kongsompong has ordered many retired military officers to move out of houses purchased with the aid of an Army welfare scheme, and they have until the end of February.

 

Military set to yield all state land holdings

 

Army chief seeks end to military business deals

 

He made some notable exceptions, saying Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, both retired generals, were exempt because of their significant contributions to the country’s wellbeing.

 

The same applies to other Cabinet members and to Privy Councillors.

 

The move continues Apirat’s surprising and broad programme of reforms, announced in the wake of last Saturday’s mass shooting in Nakhon Ratchasima, committed by an Army sergeant-major who believed his superior officer had cheated him in a deal involving military welfare housing.

 

Low-ranking soldiers were swiftly found explaining in the news media that Army commanders have a long history of unfairly exploiting subordinates over housing loans and other benefits.

 

The officer with whom the Korat shooter was dealing became his first victim.

 

Apirat wants retired officers out of their subsidised homes so that serving officers still without houses can move in.

 

He ordered the Army Welfare Department to determine which of the retirees had less than sterling records while serving their country and issue them eviction notices with a February 29 deadline.

 

Prawit’s exclusion from the order is controversial amid conflicting reports as to whether an organisation he co-chairs, the Five Provinces Bordering Forest Preservation Foundation, is headquartered on land controlled by the military.

 

It’s also been pointed out that two former Army chiefs, Sonthi Boonyaratglin and Udomdej Sitabutr, had both vacated military welfare houses in favour of private homes.

 

Prawit, asked about the matter, deferred to Apirat but said he too introduced reforms in the military when he was chief. 

 

Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda, yet another general, declined to answer reporters’ questions.

 

Srisuwan Janya, a social activist and secretary general of the Society for Defence of the Thai Constitution, on Friday (February 14) formally appealed to the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the Army’s regulatory structure with an eye to reform.

 

He suspects that the root cause of the mass shooting in Korat may lie within the way the military conducts its internal affairs.

 

“Independent agencies like the Ombudsman’s Office have a constitutional duty to inspect such matters and suggest improvements to laws, regulations, orders and procedures to save people from suffering or unfair treatment, even to government agencies including the Army,” Srisuwan said.

 

He also asked the Ombudsman to consider Prayut’s behaviour when he visited Nakhon Ratchasima after the tragedy.

 

Srisuwan believes the premier displayed poor manners by smiling, waving and forming his fingers into a heart shape when he should have been sombre, in deep sympathy for the victims.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30382133

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-02-14

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[colinneil]

The ombudsman was asked to look into Prayuts behaviour, after the tragedy !!

What will the outcome be?

Ohh he was under stress, beside himself with grief, thats probably what will be the excuse, for the clowns disgusting, disrespectful antics.

[thequietman]

12 minutes ago, webfact said:

were exempt because of their significant contributions to the country’s wellbeing.

So ............ the ordinary soldier contributes nothing?  ????

[scorecard]

Very interesting and if it happens sounds like progress.

 

But I wonder whether the army chief has the authority to be making such orders?

[kotsak]

"were exempt because of their significant contributions to the country’s wellbeing."

 

Can they name one?

[Denim]

20 minutes ago, webfact said:

Army chief General Apirat Kongsompong has ordered many retired military officers to move out of houses purchased with the aid of an Army welfare scheme, and they have until the end of February.

 

But they can sneak in the back door when all the fuss has blown over. Everything as usual.

 

But hey !!! Why would Prayuth need to use the army welfare scheme ?

 

Back in May 2013 he sold a plot of land to a private company newly opened ( his was first transaction ) in the British Virgin Island ( tax haven )for a whopping 600,000,000 !!

 

So has he spent all that to justify going on army welfare ?

 

Yea yea....it all went on drugs ,booze and fast women as usual

 

 

Edited February 14, 2020 by Denim

[tifino]

6 minutes ago, kotsak said:

"were exempt because of their significant contributions to the country’s wellbeing."

 

Can they name one?

certainly no Active War Service between the lot of them...   

[rkidlad]

 

34 minutes ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, both retired generals, were exempt because of their significant contributions to the country’s wellbeing.

We've seen Prawit's multimillion-baht watch collection. We know he hasn't contributed anything. Just taken.

 

 

Edited February 14, 2020 by rkidlad

[Mavideol]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Prawit, asked about the matter, deferred to Apirat but said he too introduced reforms in the military when he was chief. 

which ones... the ones saying the military will be hard if not impossible to remove from office/power/government

[Misterwhisper]

47 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

 

We've seen Prawit's multimillion-baht watch collection. We know he hasn't contributed anything. Just taken.

 

 

Even from (allegedly) dead people.

[bluesofa]

1 hour ago, kotsak said:

"were exempt because of their significant contributions to the country’s wellbeing."

 

Can they name one?

Shurely shome mishtake?

'significant contributions to their own wellbeing.'

[Thailand]

" many retired military officers to move out of houses purchased with the aid of an Army welfare scheme, and they have until the end of February."

 

<deleted> off I bet. Sure to be more than one or two of them know where the skeletons are buried.

 

[PatOngo]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

He made some notable exceptions, saying Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, both retired generals, were exempt because of their significant contributions to the country’s wellbeing.

The inequality continues! Is this not the root cause of the countries problems?

[tifino]

 think of all those lowly Privates! - layed off from slave servant duty

[englishoak]

NOTHING will change, just watch. 

[Scot123]

7 hours ago, Denim said:

 

But they can sneak in the back door when all the fuss has blown over. Everything as usual.

 

But hey !!! Why would Prayuth need to use the army welfare scheme ?

 

Back in May 2013 he sold a plot of land to a private company newly opened ( his was first transaction ) in the British Virgin Island ( tax haven )for a whopping 600,000,000 !!

 

So has he spent all that to justify going on army welfare ?

 

Yea yea....it all went on drugs ,booze and fast women as usual

 

 

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh don't mention the land deal from a few day old Virgin Island company set up to buy a scrappy 50 ria of land (should have a look at the land it looks as if its worth less than 6,000,000 and most definatelly not worth 600,000,000baht days before the coup sorry take over of an elected government. Just all coincidence. Nothing to see here.... Unbelievable. 

[gunderhill]

If  only Prawit and Prayut could do some land deals with a  subordinate!

[gunderhill]

8 hours ago, kotsak said:

"were exempt because of their significant contributions to the country’s wellbeing."

 

Can they name one?

Stupidity, above and beyond etc

[newcomer71]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, both retired generals, were exempt because of their significant contributions to the country’s wellbeing.

Yeah, sure... Their own well-being, me thinks.

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, newcomer71 said:

Yeah, sure... Their own well-being, me thinks.

And yet another example of twisting the law / the regulations.

[Creasy]

On a daily basis. The crooks at the top treat the Thai citizens with utter disdain with statements like these.

[ChrisY1]

17 hours ago, thequietman said:

So ............ the ordinary soldier contributes nothing?  ????

And thats exactly how they're regarded...but generals are god like!

[madmitch]

16 hours ago, englishoak said:

NOTHING will change, just watch. 

Yep. Prawit changes to a different watch every day!

[RichardColeman]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

except for Prayut, Prawit and the former brass now on the Privy Council.

Wonder what the going envelope cost to get on the hong nam council is now ? 

[klauskunkel]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Prawit said he too introduced reforms in the military

I see the start of another "me too" movement

[yellowboat]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

He made some notable exceptions, saying Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, both retired generals, were exempt because of their significant contributions to the country’s wellbeing.

????

Well informed sources at the Nikkei say the opposite:

 

" Thais between 15 and 24 years old, 50% are not in the workforce. Even worse is the fact that young educated Thais are more likely to be out of work.
 
It is a universal truth that societies become unstable when youth unemployment is rife and a military-backed government oppresses the opposition. We will keep our eye on this increasingly outspoken cohort, which may end up transforming a nation."

 

Transforming it needs.  As bad as the Shinawartes were, they were not this bad. 

[smutcakes]

Like hell any of them will move... the boys the top need the support of those below them.. all hot air and will blow over soon.

[sammieuk1]

A bigger house for the generals watch collection and a tin of Duraglit on the double its only fair ???? 

[animalmagic]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

A tough new rule – with exceptions

Does this not further create the feelings of frustration with the system of privileges, abuse and lack of representation currently evidenced by the lower ranks (classes)? 

[johnarth]

another lot of hot air, first off the two top clowns should have been the first two to get the boot, so it is rigged from the start.