Early retirement scheme slashes Thai Defence senior ranks

The Cabinet approved an early retirement scheme for senior Defence Ministry officials, effective this October. According to insider sources, the initiative is set to revolutionise the armed forces by offering retirement packages to over 700 top brass.

The ambitious three-year campaign aims to retire 732 high-ranking officials, approximately 244 each year, slashing the defence budget by an impressive 4.47 billion baht. This aims to streamline the military’s manpower by reducing the number of special advisors, specialists, and operating officers in each unit.

Eligibility criteria are stringent: only those holding ranks of colonel, captain, or group captain and higher, who serve as special advisors, advisors, specialists, or operating officers, can apply. They must be at least 50 years old with more than 25 years of service, excluding double-time periods.

The retirement package is generous. It is calculated using the formula: [5 + remaining years of service] x last salary plus position allowance, with a maximum cap of 10 times the final salary and allowance. However, if applications exceed the quota, priority will be given based on position and age.

Once retired, these officials will be permanently out of the service, with no possibility of reinstatement or rehiring.

Funding for this scheme will come from the Defence Ministry’s budget, allocating 600 million baht over three years at a rate of 200 million baht annually. This strategic cutback is designed to create a leaner, more efficient military, ensuring that resources are optimised for maximum impact, reported The Nation.

In related news, Thai and French officials convened a special seminar to enhance the defence industries of both nations, with Thailand aiming to procure defence products valued at 200 billion baht over the next two decades. Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang and the French Ambassador to Thailand Jean-Claude Poimboeuf opened the Thailand-France Seminar on the Defence Industry 2024 at the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence.

In other news, to quell public outrage, the Defence Ministry unveiled comprehensive guidelines detailing what can and cannot be deducted from conscripts’ salaries.