By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE NAVY IS CHOOSING TO BUY another frigate from five shipbuilding countries to add to a fleet of seven currently deployed.
During today’s (Mar 20) second reading of the 2024 budget bill in the House of Representatives, Pheu Thai MP Thanet Khruarat confirmed the navy plans to purchase a new frigate with a sum of 17 billion baht in funding either from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain or South Korea.
Nevertheless, majority members of a subcommittee of the Budget Committee in charge of scrutinising procurement projects separately proposed by the armed services for funding in the 3.48-trillion-baht budget bill have resolved to shelve the planned procurement of the navy frigate until the next fiscal year.
The navy plans to put 10% in down payment in the current fiscal year for the frigate for which the total 17 billion baht purchase cost will be split into five yearly instalments.
But Thanet, who chairs the budget subcommittee, said the majority members of his panel have already resolved to postpone the navy’s frigate procurement project until the next fiscal year whilst the cabinet is scheduled on Mar. 26 to either approve or reject it.
The subcommittee chair said the navy had not come up with specifications for the sought-after frigate during testimony before his panel.
The navy currently deploys a South Korean-built Bhumibol Adulyadej frigate, two Chinese-built Naresuan-class frigates and four Chinese-built Chao Phraya-class frigates in addition to five corvettes and four offshore patrol boats, among others.
In another development, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was today encouraged to do without government-provided automobiles at his service.
Move Forward MP Preeti Charoensilp advised the prime minister to give up his privileges of being provided automobiles for his official motorcade to help save the taxpayer’s money and practically set a good example for high-level government officials nationwide.
For instance, the Pheu Thai-backed prime minister currently enjoys the privilege of being provided a Lexus luxury vehicle for official use despite the fact that he possesses one of the same type of his own. The luxury automobile provided for official use by the prime minister costs 136,500 baht in monthly rent which is more than his monthly salary and entitlement pay which totals 125,590 baht, the Move Forward MP said.
The real estate mogul-turned-prime minister is known to have expensive automobiles of his own, including a 50-million-baht Aston Martin car.
Meanwhile, the top brass of the army, navy and air force are entitled to a combined 565 million baht in entitlement pay for rentals of luxury automobiles for official use in a year as separately sought after for the current fiscal year.
CAPTIONS:
Top: HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej. Photo: Matichon
Front Page: HTMS Chao Phraya. Photo: Defense-studies.blogspot.com
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