PUBLISHED: 4:25 on December 6, 2023.
Srettha Thavisin, the prime minister, requested on Tuesday that the military increase its efforts to quell unrest in the South and illegal drug trafficking along the Myanmar border.
After meeting with military chief Gen Songwit Noonpackdee, Mr. Srettha stated that he agreed with the army’s strategy and plans for resolving the turmoil in the South with assistance from their Malay counterparts and steps to thwart illicit drug smuggling from Myanmar.
To really stop drug smuggling, he said, the soldiers will collaborate strongly with the police.
” I also urge the troops to assist people in a variety of life-related matters, such as providing assistance to members during floods or droughts, collaborating closely with local authorities to thwart illegal drug trafficking, or assisting in the reduction of the environmental impact by preventing or extinguishing forest fires. Mr. Srettha stated,” I want to see a closer connection between the troops and local people.”
However, the army will offer treatment services in some of its military hospitals for patients with psychological disorders brought on by illegal drugs, according to RAdm Thanitpong Sirisawetsak, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry, who spoke to the media on Tuesday and NBPSP.
The Royal Thai Army Medical Department will conduct a pilot project during the first step, which will run from this quarter until February of next year. There will be a mental heath rehabilitation and recovery center at four of its facilities in Prachin Buri, Nakhon Ratchasima, Ubon, and Kanchanaburi. Next month, the job will be expanded to include five additional hospitals in Lampang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phitsanulok, and Udon Thani.
Each military clinics may have a capacity to treat up to ten people.
The remaining 27 military institutions will then receive mental health rehabilitation and recovery centers. They will be able to manage up to 110 people in full, he said.