Father-Admiral 'goes off' when son dropped by Marines

Father-Admiral 'goes off' when son dropped by Marines

Missed deadline led to ejection from course

Royal Thai Marine forces train at U-tapao air base. (Main photo Creative Commons via Wikipedia)
Royal Thai Marine forces train at U-tapao air base. (Main photo Creative Commons via Wikipedia)

The Royal Thai Marine Corps has lodged a police complaint against a former naval officer who unleashed his anger and allegedly damaged assets as well as snatched a rifle at the Reconnaissance Battalion, a unit of the corps in Chon Buri.

The former officer lost his temper after learning his son was abruptly dropped from the unit's selection course due to an injury suffered during an exercise.

Royal Thai Marine Corps commander VAdm Rattana Wongsarot said he has reported to the navy chief, Adm Naris Prathumsuwan, the unit's decision to file a complaint.

In the meantime, the marine corps would set up a panel to investigate the injury to the young officer, said VAdm Rattana.

The young officer, whose name has not been revealed, suffered broken ribs and, according to his instructors, was removed from the course because he was unable to return to the camp in time after treatment. His father was thought to be angry about the treatment he received.

On Nov 19, the injured officer's father, Rear Adm Benchaporn Bowornsuwan, who is no longer a serving officer, drove to the corps' training unit in Sattahip, Chon Buri and allegedly scolded the battalion instructors.

He then seized an automatic rifle from the unit and damaged property, including a special raised platform which senior officers use during ceremonies in which lower ranks march past, or stand to attention before, their commander.

He allegedly forced a training unit commander to get into his car and drive to Rayong before navy officers could convince him to allow the commander to get out, according to navy sources.

VAdm Rattana said Tuesday the panel will probe whether any kind of "wrongful incident" occurred during the course, to prevent anything similar happening in the future.

He said he had also told the unit to tone down its notoriously gruelling course.

The Royal Thai Marine Corps' Reconnaissance Battalion is a special warfare unit, known for its effectiveness in mounting attacks on land or on water and also used to patrol particularly dangerous areas.

The conflict between the father, once a senior navy officer, and the battalion has caused consternation among both officers and instructors at the unit.

The instructors admitted the course is tough and every day they shout at trainees "no room for the weak".

However, this is expected by those on the course, which is aimed to toughen them mentally and physically, the instructors said.

According to the instructors, the injured officer probably suffered his injuries after becoming exhausted during an exercise and losing his balance.

The young officer was then rushed to a military hospital for treatment, but unfortunately he could not return to the camp by the deadline given and consequently lost his place on the course, according to the instructors.

Officers who graduated from the course gathered Tuesday at the unit to give moral support to their instructors.

Officers said Rear Adm Benchaporn did not understand the facts and should not have criticised the unit via social media.

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