As Pheu Thai Party decides to nominate one of its deputy leaders, Sutin Klungsang, as defence minister, Prime Minister-elect Srettha Thavisin is playing down expectations that there will be any radical reform of the military under his new administration.
“As I have been saying all along, I don’t like the word “reform”. My preference is for us to develop (the military) together,” Srettha said, when questioned by reporters on his government’s plans to reform the armed forces.
Pheu Thai was one of the political parties that made reforming the military a platform policy during the recent general election. It proposed downsizing the armed forces and imposing tighter controls on arms acquisitions.
Srettha also declined to confirm that there was a last-minute change in his party’s Cabinet line-up, which saw a former army general sidelined as defence minister and replaced by…
