<p>After social media attacks for criticising Thailand’s military conscription system, a former private says his criticisms should be used to make the army more professional.</p>
<p>Phongsathon Chankaew, founder of the <a href="https://www.waysup.in.th/">Way’s up</a> media website and independent social worker, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/phongsathon.golf/posts/10211938775319530">posted a Facebook message</a> on 2 November 2017 about his decision to remove his earlier post about military conscription.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A deputy junta head alleged that there are people who planed to create chaos around the upcoming Royal Funeral.</p>
<p>On 2 October 2017, Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, a deputy junta head and Defence Minister, said at the meeting about security issues during the upcoming Royal Funeral for the late King Bhumibol on 26 October.</p>
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<div>The <a href="https://www.matichon.co.th/news/631797">Royal Thai Army (RTA) has announced</a> that a soldier will be detained for 15 days for physically abusing suspected drug users on Ko Lan, Chonburi Province. </div>
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<div>The announcement came after <a href="https://www.facebook.com/queentogetherisone/videos/1040909436012224/">a video clip</a> of a soldier beating three drug suspects went viral on Facebook on 15 August. Other men in uniform watch the beating.
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<p>Doctors who examined the body of a soldier who allegedly died from ill-treatment during military training testified that he was left drowning for at least five minutes.</p>
<p>The Civil Court on Ratchadaphisek Road, Bangkok, held witness hearings from 13-15 June 2017 on the death of Sub Lt Sanan Thongdinok, who drowned to death on 6 June 2015 while swimming as part of the King’s Guard Regiment training course.</p>
<p>Military has attempted to ban a book about the rice subsidy programme authored by politicians from the Pheu Thai Party.</p>
<p>On 14 June 2017, Gen Chalermchai Sittisad, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army, <a href="http://www.tlhr2014.com/th/?p=4396">spoke to the media</a> about <a href="http://prachatai.org/english/node/7208">a visit to the house of Yuttapong Charasathien</a>, a former Pheu Thai MP and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, by eight soldiers on 11 June.</p>
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<div>The Army Commander-in-Chief has said an exiled extremist redshirt could be a suspect in the recent blast at a hospital run by the Army, adding the junta might bring back military trials for those who commit crimes against national security.</div>
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<div>On 25 May 2017, Gen Charlermchai Sitthisat, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army, <a href="https://www.matichon.co.th/news/567063">revealed</a> that the authorities have compiled a list of suspects who could be behind the recent <a href="http://www.prachatai.org/english/node/7157">bombing of Phramongkutklao Hospital
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<div>The Army Cyber Centre (ACC) claims to have taken down 435 websites committing lèse majesté since October last year, when King Bhumibol passed away.
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By Human Rights Watch (HRW) |
<p><a href="https://www.hrw.org/asia/thailand">Thai</a> authorities should promptly and independently investigate the death of an army conscript from apparent torture while detained in a military jail, Human Rights Watch said today. The government should also undertake a broader campaign to end the longstanding use of corporal punishment in the armed forces, including by prosecuting military commanders for serious offenses by soldiers under their command.</p>
<p>After spending billions of baht on submarines from China, the Defence Ministry now plans to buy more tanks for the Army.</p>
<p>At the Cabinet meeting on 4 April 2017, Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, the Defence Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and deputy junta head, said the cabinet <a href="http://www.bangkokbiznews.com/news/detail/748608">will not discuss</a> the plan to spend 36 billion baht on three ‘Yuan Class S26T’ submarines from China.</p>
<p>He said the Defence Ministry’s Permanent Secretary’s Office still needs to check the details of the submarine procurement contract.</p>
<p>Believing that her son was beaten to death in a military base, the mother of a 22-year-old private has vowed not to cremate the body until the investigation into her son’s death is complete.</p>
<p>Private Yutthakinan Bunniam of Vibhavadee Rangsit Military Base in southern Surat Thani Province <a href="https://www.dailynews.co.th/regional/565654">died</a> on 1 April 2017, after being taken to hospital from the military base the day before.</p>
<p>The late private was earlier detained in a military prison within the base for allegedly violating discipline.</p>
<p>The mother of a soldier in northeastern Thailand who was beaten to death in a military camp has filed a civil lawsuit against the Royal Thai Army.</p>
<p>At the Civil Court on Ratchadapisek Road in Bangkok on 9 March 2017, Boonrueang Suthiraphan, the mother of Corporal Krittikon Suthiraphan, 25, filed the civil lawsuit against the Royal Thai Army over the death of her son in the military prison of Weerawat Yothin Army Camp in Surin Province on 21 February 2016. He was imprisoned after being accused of assisting other detainees in the military prison to flee.</p>
By John Draper |
<p>As reported in this excellent <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-23/thai-junta-introduces-idealogical-boot-camp-for-kindergarten/8145362">ABC News column</a> drawing on a Matichon Online story, the Royal Thai Military has begun the systematic militarized indoctrination of kindergarteners.</p>
<p><strong>Systematic Military Indoctrination of Thai Kindergarteners Begins</strong></p>