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Defense Industry: Confidence Gap - Duly Confident, Chiefs Unconvinced - Trial Needed

Defense Industry: Confidence Gap - Duly Confident, Chiefs Unconvinced - Trial Needed

Matichon•Politics•18d ago

Reader Briefing

The Minister of Defense expresses strong confidence in Thailand's domestic defense industry, urging military leaders to begin trials of locally-produced equipment to build trust before market expansion.

  • •Minister of Defense Gen. Adul Boonthamcharoen spoke at the THAILAND Defence Industry Exhibition 2026.
  • •He believes Thailand can produce most of its military equipment and wants domestic products to be prioritized.
  • •Service chiefs are not yet convinced of the equipment's reliability, according to the minister.

Overview

  • •On July 7, Gen. Adul Boonthamcharoen delivered a special lecture at the THAILAND Defence Industry Exhibition 2026 at the Ministry of Defence.
  • •Gen. Adul Boonthamcharoen stated that if domestic defense industry cannot gain trust now, it will never gain trust in the future.
  • •Gen. Adul Boonthamcharoen emphasized that manufacturers must build confidence by letting the military try their products first.
  • •Gen. Adul Boonthamcharoen drew a parallel with modern technology replacing human roles, suggesting future warfare might rely on cyber attacks before ground troops engage.
  • •Gen. Adul Boonthamcharoen noted that while the private sector is strong, conviction from users like service chiefs is missing.
  • •If domestic defense products are not tested and proven, Thailand will fail to export them to the global market.
  • •Gen. Adul Boonthamcharoen intends to build confidence among service chiefs regarding the domestic defense industry's capabilities.
  • •Gen. Adul Boonthamcharoen outlined future directions for Thailand to include self-reliance, R&D investment, SME promotion, and export market expansion.

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Key Quotes

Gen. Adul Boonthamcharoen
"If it cannot be done in this era, it won't be done in any era. Manufacturers must build confidence by letting the military try it first. Only when it proves effective will confidence be gained."
ถ้าหากยุคนี้ยังทำไม่ได้ ก็ไม่ต้องไปทำยุคไหนแล้ว ผู้ประกอบการต้องให้ความเชื่อมั่น โดยการให้ทางกองทัพลองใช้ก่อน หากเห็นผลจริงจึงจะได้รับความเชื่อมั่น
Gen. Adul Boonthamcharoen
"I grew up as a rural soldier who had the opportunity to use equipment bought by the military with public taxes. Importantly, I had a part in using it, and always thought it would be best to use domestically produced items someday."
ตนเติบโตมาในแบบทหารบ้านนอกคนหนึ่ง ซึ่งได้มีโอกาสได้ใช้ยุทธปกรณ์ที่กองทัพจะซื้อมาด้วยภาษีอากรของประชาชน ที่สำคัญคือได้มีส่วนในการใช้ และสักวันหนึ่งคิดไว้เสมอว่าถ้ามีโอกาสจะได้ใช้ของที่ผลิตในไทยจะดีที่สุด
Gen. Adul Boonthamcharoen
"Future directions for Thailand include self-reliance, following the Offset Policy, investing in R&D and innovation, promoting SMEs, cooperating with friendly nations, expanding export markets, developing personnel, and transparent budget management."
ทิศทางหลังจากนี้ที่ประเทศไทยต้องเดินต่อ อาทิ ต้องพึ่งพาตนเอง, ทำตาม Offset Policy, การลงทุนด้านการวิจัยและนวัตกรรม, ส่งเสริม SME, ความร่วมมือกับมิตรประเทศ, ขยายตลาดส่งออก, พัฒนาบุคคล และบริหารงบประมาณอย่างโปร่งใส

Key Entities

Person

Gen. Adul Boonthamcharoen(บิ๊กดุลย์)
Minister of Defense who expressed confidence in Thailand's defense industry.
Gen. Adul Boonthamcharoen(พล.ท.อดุลย์ บุญธรรมเจริญ)
Minister of Defense who delivered a special lecture on Thailand's defense industry capabilities.
Gen. Thavatchai Samutsakhon(พล.อ.ธวัชชัย สมุทรสาคร)
Former commander of the Second Army Area who authorized the use of M-16A1 rifles.
Commander of the Second Army Area(แม่ทัพภาคที่ 2)
The role held by Gen. Thavatchai Samutsakhon in 2011.

Organization

Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence(สำนักงานปลัดกระทรวงกลาโหม)
The government body where the defense industry exhibition took place.
Royal Thai Army(กองทัพบก)ℹ️
A branch of the military that uses defense industry equipment and whose chiefs' confidence is sought.
Royal Thai Navy(กองทัพเรือ)ℹ️
A branch of the military that uses defense industry equipment.
Royal Thai Air Force(กองทัพอากาศ)ℹ️
A branch of the military that uses defense industry equipment.

Law

Offset Policy( Offset Policy)
A policy mentioned as a future direction for Thailand's defense industry and international cooperation.