Such a stance should be praised as there has been talk about the need to downsize the armed forces for quite some time. Back in 2012, then-defence minister Sukumpol Suwanatat came up with the idea of streamlining the armed forces. Earlier this year, the Defence Ministry announced a 10-year modernisation plan for the armed forces to boost their ability to deal with new security threats. Those involved in such plans should be aware of the immediate impact the retirement age extension plan is likely to have. For example, more new graduates will struggle to find jobs if the retirement age goalposts are changed.

Source: Bangkok Post November 10, 2017 21:56 UTC