The ‘welfare’ flaw that turned deadly

THURSDAY, February 13, 2020

Details have emerged about the military housing project and the payment glitch that apparently led an Army sergeant-major to shoot dead 29 people in downtown Nakhon Ratchasima and wound 58 others last Saturday.

It was known almost immediately that the gunman had a conflict with an Army officer and others involved in the project, which allows lower ranks to borrow money to buy houses.
Soldiers can borrow the money directly from the Army Welfare Department and buy and own a house on state land as long as they sign a long-term lease with the Treasury Department.
But there’s a second approach, involving the purchase of land close to Army bases from private businesses aligned with the soldier’s own unit. The terms are highly affordable.
Problems have emerged, though, because base officers have collaborated with businesspeople in allocating funds.
Sometimes the amount of the loan exceeds the value of the house, or the loan is borrowed to refurbish the furniture or some other purpose, with the difference being returned to the buyer. Officers can expect to benefit financially, usually in the form of a “commission”, in return for persuading subordinates to sign a purchase deal. But low ranks often end up with a heavy debt burden.
In some cases, actual fraud is involved. One soldier told Channel 3 TV he was lured into borrowing money by the wife of a superior officer and she then altered the loan document so she could pocket a portion of the amount paid, leaving him deep in debt.