Mass shooting puts army officers' side deals under scrutinyArmy chief Gen Apirat Kongsompong reacts during a news conference in Bangkok on Tuesday following last weekend's shooting rampage by a soldier at a mall in Nakhon Ratchasima. Army chief Apirat Kongsompong has promised to investigate and also acknowledged a wider problem of inappropriate business deals involving army officers and their subordinates, vowing to root out the practise. The military has a long tradition of involvement in business and it has been an open secret that some officers branch out into private business deals. "It is actually quite common for senior military officers to be involved in real estate, especially in Thailand's rural areas," said Paul Chambers, a politics expert at Naresuan University in Phitsanulok. "There are cooperation between units and private contractor that lobby for deals," Gen Apirat said.

Source: Bangkok Post February 12, 2020 12:30 UTC