Thread: Thailand’s Military Ordered to Cut Generals in Half By 2027

Thailand’s Defence Council has approved an armed forces reform plan that includes a proposal to cut the number of generals in half by 2027, according to Col. Jittanat Punnotok, a deputy Defence Ministry spokesman, on Wednesday.


According to a military source, there are currently roughly 1,200 generals. According to Col Jittanat, the armed services have already reduced the number of military personnel by about 8,000 between 2017 and 2021, saving around 1.5 billion baht. According to the source, the overall number of generals should be about 600 by 2027, with an expected savings of 2.9 billion baht.


According to the source, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, in his capacity as defence minister, has stated that the reforms were planned long ago and had nothing to do with any new government’s goal to seek armed forces reform.


According to the source, the reforms also included a decision to halt reinforcing the 7th Infantry Division in the North, which means it will no longer be able to raise its manpower.


According to the source, the 7th Infantry Division’s key responsibilities include assisting the 4th Infantry Division in ensuring security along the Thai-Myanmar border.


The plan also calls for a freeze in soldier levels in the 3rd Cavalry Division in Khon Kaen. According to the source, it’s all part of the armed forces’ effort to improve efficiency through restructuring, shrinking, and modernization.

The council also approved a plan to reduce the number of paramilitary forces in southern border areas by 1,656. In terms of recruitment, he stated that the number of recruits required is roughly 90,000 per year, down from 100,000 previously, and that approximately 35,000 enlist voluntarily each year.


According to the source, this means the armed forces will be able to transition seamlessly from mandatory conscription to voluntary enlistment.


The Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt, a renowned authority on Thailand’s military, claimed 306,000 active duty military members and 245,000 reserves for a total of 551,000 — about 0.8% of the population. It further stated that one general is assigned to every 660 lower-ranking members.


In comparison, the troop-based ratio for the United States Army, where the number of generals is limited by Congress, is around one general for every 1,600 enlisted troops. The British army, which has been severely reduced by budget cuts, has only a few dozen four-star generals surviving. However, equivalencies are not exact; Thai officers, for example, rarely retire early.


According to one international observer, Thailand has between 150 and 200 four-star generals in genuine command roles.


Official salaries are not high based on rank, with a two-star general earning roughly 60,000 baht ($2,000) each month. Senior officers in command posts, on the other hand, fare better since they are paid more for the role – an arrangement that entails a promotion in rank, but to a less active or non-leadership position, which can result in a loss of revenue. Senior officers who are underemployed frequently become “experts” or “advisers.”

Senior officers, like all Thai public servants, retire at the age of 60. They have both the time and the motivation to look for second occupations while serving. Over 50 state enterprises, including the national flag-carrier Thai Airways International, have some of the most lucrative sinecures.


The military controls more territory in the country than any other body and directly owns several enterprises, most notably television and radio stations, presumably for national security purposes.


The military forces exist under the constitution to safeguard the monarchy, national integrity, and sovereignty, just as they do in many other countries.


The military, on the other hand, has traditionally been allocated an additional responsibility that is virtually buried at the end of Section 52 of the constitution: “Armed forces shall also be deployed for the purpose of developing the country.”


Military development units continue to do tasks that would normally be entrusted to local civil authority, such as agriculture, forestry, erecting public buildings and rural infrastructure, and even schools.


Thailand's Military Ordered To Cut Generals In Half By 2027

Originally Posted by misskit

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, in his capacity as defence minister, has stated that the reforms were planned long ago and had nothing to do with any new government’s goal to seek armed forces reform.

I smell a large pile of fermenting manure.

This medieval snake pit of a country has more generals than the US and PRC armies combined.

A silly, preposterous and stupid society in which a largely supine and compliant population cravenly cooperates in its own exploitation by fascists and their corporate shills.

Ghastly people, really.

Ordered to Cut Generals in Half

That's a bit extreme. Would they not just lay them off.

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

This medieval snake pit of a country has more generals than the US and PRC armies combined.

Yeah, so the position is less exalted than in other countries.

Who cares, amongst expats, really?

It's almost impressive, the stuff you find to help you generate bile, though.

Indeed, Tax, the hypocrisy he exhibits is quite rancid.

His asinine comment on the status of a Thai general, that it is somehow less senior than those of elsewhere, is typical of his somewhat shallow intellectual acuity. Irrespective of how spurious the rank is, in this medieval snakepit of a country how could it be anything else, the fact is the redundant holder derives a wholly unjustified material benefit and opportunity to acquire more wealth and power through his position without any democratic mandate or accountability, and there are hundreds of them.

Corruption, cronyism, peculation and abuse of power is endemic in this society that is riddled with greed and rotten to its core.

Yeah I can never understand foreigners who complain about Thailand's status quo

“ You, you farang, You no like Thailand, you go home, na”.

God, what a bunch of deadbeats you blue collar oiks and teflers truly are. A glass of beer in one hand, a whore on your knee and the promise of a finger up your arse as you shoot your dribbling load is all you need from the LoS.

A thumb up the butt done properly is underrated

From my humble experience, I don't think a farang's opinion has ever been worth more than a rather healthy bowel movement. But, that's just me...carry on!

Originally Posted by taxexile

i find it strange, but not entirely surprising cyrille given your political leanings, that you rarely if ever hesitate to adversely criticise britain, a democracy and the country of your birth and a country you haven't lived in for many many years and have few if any ties with, having chosen to re locate for work, tax free financial gain and retirement to oppressive dictatorships where the poor, the disadvantaged and their minorities are routinely persecuted, and yet when the myriad injustices of those countries are mentioned, up you pop with "who cares?".

A point of view well presented

Originally Posted by Topper

From my humble experience, I don't think a farang's opinion has ever been worth more than a rather healthy bowel movement. But, that's just me...carry on!

Why would it be ?

How much is your opinion worth in your homeland ?


Could be that SA would rather stay in Thailand "with a thump up his arse", than moving to the UK and getting shafted by the Tories.

Plaque or Cholera perhaps

Originally Posted by helge

How much is your opinion worth in your homeland ?

A vote, therefore a say in the running of the place (theoretically), but this is probably quite true:

Originally Posted by helge

Could be that SA would rather stay in Thailand "with a thump up his arse", than moving to the UK and getting shafted by the Tories.

In order to have a finger in one's arse then one's brain must be firmly in neutral.

If the Generals are to be cut in half can it be done with a chainsaw.

Originally Posted by helge

How much is your opinion worth in your homeland ?

As PH said, I can at least vote and share my opinion with like minded voters.

Originally Posted by Bonecollector

A thumb up the butt done properly is underrated

and a genuine surprise at my dentist's

Originally Posted by Topper

As PH said, I can at least vote and share my opinion with like minded voters.

Well congratulations

You can pick and choose from a handful of candidates (of the same rotten barrel) that others from two party elites chose for you.

(You aren't a Superdelegate, are you ?)


Whereas in Thailand you can buy two voters to vote for your favorite.

1000 baht and you're on.

Originally Posted by helge

You can pick and choose from a handful of candidates (of the same rotten barrel) that others from two party elites chose for you.

l

How do you choose in your country? It must be tough to choose between all of the angels that are in politics there.

Originally Posted by Topper

How do you choose in your country?

Like you do

We are however a much smaller place and politicians have the risk of meeting voters in schools, shopping, at football or even worse at family stuff, where the drunk uncle also attend.

And we have another political system with heaps of parties, who gets a fairer deal at elections, than by you.

If I remember rightly ..12 parties in parliament this time. Could be more, but 2% of the votes is the lower limit, to have seats.

But don't worry

The total and worst scumbaggery is outsourced to Bruxelles, where NOBODY is accountable.

The idols of PH,SA, Cyrille, Troy, BSnub et all.

Democrazy outsourced; funny isn't it ?

Originally Posted by Topper

It must be tough to choose between all of the angels that are in politics there.

No angels and I knew you couldn't take it

Cause you know it's true

Do like the rest of us.

Originally Posted by helge

The total and worst scumbaggery is outsourced to Bruxelles, where NOBODY is accountable.

The idols of PH,SA, Cyrille, Troy, BSnub et all.

Indeed . . . everyone else is wrong and can't think independently. Oh helge . . .

Oh

My letter arrived.

Greetings from Denmark