The army has revealed plans for its greatest change of strategy in public memory. Beginning in a year, it will close the bases and shift most Bangkok-based combat units to outlying provinces. The planned move includes most major units of infantry, cavalry and artillery -- troops, tanks and big guns -- as well as headquarters and support units needed to support them. Two well-known regiments are to be completely decommissioned and all their soldiers reassigned.
These logistical moves were presented as some sort of gift to the people of Bangkok. The ever-present traffic situation has lately been turned into crisis by the governments programme to build out infrastructure. Hundreds of kilometres of main roads have been lost to these construction projects. So ex-army commander Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha claimed that plans to move major military units out of Bangkok will help.
That is not fully credible. At the very best, not a man nor a tank nor a traffic-stopping convoy of "very important" army commanders will leave in less than 13 months. And that is the best scenario. That is not to denigrate this extremely welcome, long overdue project. Actual combat units have never had a strategic reason for even being in Bangkok. Calls for departure will, and should, now increase and single out more military units that should depart for up-country, expeditiously.
The new strategy of troop deployment is the first such change since "young Turk" army officers overthrew the absolute monarchy in 1932. That historic milestone marks the time that the Royal Thai Army decided as one that its ability and acumen exceeded that of any person or group. That attitude is certainly questionable at best. However, after 1932, the army-dominated military's primary strategy was to make unauthorised challenges to its self-awarded political power unlikely. That led to the growth of the Bangkok-based army elements, and the inevitable choosing of commanding generals of units in the capital according to their loyalty.
Gen Prayut and his hand-picked new army chief, Gen Apirat Kongsompong, are not changing any of those tactical suppositions. Rather, they are adapting to changes made in the past four years-plus of military rule. For the first time, the military -- not just one dictator as in some past decades -- has the legal upper hand. The new constitution, in laws and practice, effectively makes the tanks and guns unnecessary. An unprecedented 20-year development plan will either proceed or be used to hamstring a recalcitrant civilian-led government with parliamentary disorder and lawsuits.
These reasons should not diminish the welcome plan to move most troops out of Bangkok. Massive military bases will become open. Public pressure will be needed to stop the Royal Thai Army from attempting to profit from "their" land. Large tank bases of the 1st Division, 1st Cavalry Regiment and 2nd Cavalry Division are to be vacated. A particularly welcome departure will be that of the notorious, traffic-blocking 11th Military Circle to the Government Complex at Chaeng Watthana Road in Nonthaburi.
These should be merely the first part of a multi-stage operation to get the military out of Bangkok. Its very mission is to defend the national borders, which are not close to the capital. Also on the agenda should be the long-debated move out of Don Mueang Airbase by the air force.
Even better, the army should announce plans to reduce its structure. It must end the unfair and exploitative military induction programme. Most important to its image, the armed forces must pare down the bloated contingent of 1,700-plus general officers. Two thirds of that number could be retired immediately, and the only effect on military preparedness would be that the world would stop mocking Thailand for their presence.