An army of generals
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After the latest military reshuffles, the Armed Forces - which comprise just over 300,000 personnel - are now led by a record number of 1,092 generals, admirals and air marshals.
By comparison, the United States military, the largest in the world, is about 1.5 million-strong, yet the number of general-ranking officers is capped at 230 for the army, 208 for the air force and 60 for the marines – a total of 490.
In other words, the US has less than half the number of generals as Thailand, yet its armed forces are five times the size.
In addition to these caps, no more than 25 per cent of active US generals or flag officers can have more than two stars. Finally, the number of US four-star generals is capped at seven for the army, nine for the air force and four for the marines.
The situation in Thailand has reached farcical proportions, and if this keeps up, sooner or later the generals might outnumber the rank and file. It is surely time to consider limiting the numbers of senior officers with a system similar to that used in the United States.
David Brown
Rayong
