The Billionaire Generals..
Made in “Thailand Royal Army”
with a Twist “Coup”
Army corruptions is in Billions. Military spending rose sharply after the Sept 19, 2006
coup that overthrew the Thaksin Shinawatra administration.
The Defense Ministry’s spending in 2007, during the coup-installed Gen Surayuth
Chulanond administration, shot up by 33.8% to more than 115 billion baht, from 85.9
billion in the 2006 fiscal year. In the 2008 fiscal year, defence expenditure rose by
24.7% from the year before to 143 billion baht. Under the Samak Sundaravej and
Abhisit Vejjajiva administrations, military budgets rose by 24.7% in 2008 and 18.5%
in 2009 respectively.
The Thai military is a source of cost overruns and corruption allegations. Who forgets
the GT200 bomb detectors that turned out to be an embarrassing scam. They are
lumps of plastic with no working mechanical parts. Army
commander Anupong Paojinda was the one who approved the purchase for 1.4 million
baht each in 2009.
Who forgets the 350 million baht purchase of a leaky surveillance which the army has
named “Sky Dragon.” that airship is the brainchild of Gen Anupong and his second-