Navy’s request for THB1.7-billion budget to procure frigate rejected by House panel
The Royal Thai Navy’s request for a budget of 1.7 billion baht to fund its purchase of a new frigate has been rejected by the House of Representatives special committee tasked with vetting the 2024 budget, a source said on Friday.
The committee on Tuesday turned down the Navy's appeal for reconsideration of the decision to cut the provision for purchase of the frigate from the budget for this fiscal year. However, the panel accepted the Navy’s separate appeal against an 87.1-million-baht reduction from its proposed budget to build a new runway and taxiway at the U-Tapao International Airport, run by the Navy, according to the source familiar with the matter.
The Navy had reportedly sent a letter to the House panel chairman, asking for a reconsideration of the budget cut. The Navy argued that a new frigate was essential to its mission of maintaining the country's territorial sovereignty, especially as the Navy plans to decommission two frigates in 2026. A new ship is expected to be used over the next five years.
Its plan requires 17 billion baht to fund the frigate purchase, with about 1.7 billion baht to be spent in the first year.
The special House panel has cut more than 9 billion baht from the original fund requests of state agencies, according to the source. In addition to the Navy, the Ministry of Culture’s Permanent Secretary Office also appealed against the subcommittee's decision to cut its construction budget by 107.9 million baht.
According to the source, the House panel was considering appeals from eight agencies – PTT Plc, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, Provincial Electricity Authority, Airports of Thailand Plc, Transport Co Ltd, Government Lottery Office, Tobacco Authority of Thailand, and National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission – that saw cuts in their proposed budgets.
