More Black Hawks are Joining The RTA Fleet

Today’s fleet of Royal Thai Army helicopter are consists of TH-300, Bell 206, UH-1H, Bell 212, Bell 412, CH-47D, and UH-60L.

There once was a plan to replace UH-1H “Huey” by 33 Black Hawk, but the budget crisis from 1997 Asian Financial Crisis forced RTA to cut the number into only 7.

Base on the original requirement in 2006, there is a requirment for 9 utility helicopter, with the helicopter required will be the same standard with Black Hawk.

Photo Gallery: RTA Elite Units In Southern Thailand

Soldiers prepare to storm the house of suspected Muslim militants after an encounter in southern Thailand's Yala province, about 1,084 km (674 miles) south of Bangkok June 27, 2009. A soldier, a policeman and a suspected insurgent were killed in a gun battle in Thailand's restive Muslim south, security forces said on Saturday. REUTERS/Surapan Boonthanom (THAILAND SOCIETY CONFLICT POLITICS CRIME LAW)

As there are no news update on Thai military right now. I provides you a set of photo of RTA Special Unit in action!

Thank http://www.daylife.com.

 

Border dispute not lead to war with Cambodia: Thai defense minister

www.chinaview.cn 2009-07-04 17:25:46

BANGKOK, July 4 (Xinhua) — Thai Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said on Saturday that he was confident that the border dispute with Cambodia will not lead to war between the two countries as some fear.

Detail of Defense Budget Cut!

As my memory told, the 1997 Asian Economic Crisis is so damn bad. The current crisis Thailand facing, it’s hard, but it  can not compare with our previuos one. Maybe Thailand got some immune from the 1997 crisis.

But whatever the case, it’s still hard and now military got an impact by facing an budget cut.

So here are some detail of it.

Airship for RTA!

Airship for RTA …. this is the unexpected thing.

Well RTA give the reason that due to the southern insurgency, RTA needs its own ‘Eye in the sky’.

The current ‘Eye in the sky’ is AU-23A peacemaker of RTAF equipped with FLIR and some UAV types, own by RTA.

BTR-3E1 Finally Finds Its Engine

RTA decides to shift to US Engine instead of German-made one on BTR-3E1. German government refuses to sell engine to RTA citing the ‘political reason’ which is believe to be a result from 2006 Coup.

A coupmaker General Sonthi Boonyarattanaklin selected BTR-3E1 in 2007, a time Thailand still lived under the military rule.

Deal later posponed and signed in mid-2008 during PM Samak administration, a democratic government.

RTA Plan For BTR-3E1 Suffers Delay

RTA selected 96 BTR-3E1s to meet its requirement of 8×8 wheel APC in 2007. The deal was sign in 2008 during ex-PM Samak team. It’s schedule to deliver in mid-2009.

However, this program facing delays as Germany still do not approve a sale of Engine and communication equipment to Thailand ….. believe to be the reason from 2006 Coup.

(Finally?), Thailand and Cambodian Speed Up Border Servey

FOREIGN RELATIONS
Meeting sets date for border survey
By: THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL
Published: 9/04/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

Thailand and Cambodia will start surveying their common boundary from Si Sa Ket to Surin province next month.

Vasin Teeravechyan, an adviser to Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, said the boundary survey would follow the agreed minutes of the last two meetings of officials.

Gen. Anupong: It’s resulted from “misunderstanding”

Thai Army chief: Thai-Cambodian border clashes caused by “misunderstanding”
www.chinaview.cn 2009-04-04 19:40:46

BANGKOK, April 4 (Xinhua) — Thailand’s Army Commander-in-Chief Gen. Anupong Paochinda said Saturday clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers at the disputed border area on Friday resulted from “misunderstanding”, according to Thai News Agency (TNA).

Breakingnews: Thai and Cambodian Exhange Fire

Cambodia, Thai troops exchange fire
By: AFP
Published: 3/04/2009 at 10:30 AM
Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged gunfire briefly on Friday in a disputed area on their border, a Thai official said, raising tensions that erupted into a deadly clash last year.