The Thai government has decided to delay the purchase of two submarines from China, withdrawing its request to parliament to include the sum for an initial payment in the national budget.
Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri yesterday announced that Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who concurrently serves as minister of defense, had told the navy to delay the 22.5 billion baht (US$722 million) purchase until 2022. The government had sought to have 3.375 billion baht included in next year’s budget to cover the first of seven annual installments.
Funding the submarines has become a hot political issue, with critics saying that the purchases could not be justified while the nation is carrying a huge economic burden from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The issue also threatened to create fissures in Prayuth’s ruling coalition government, as a major partner threatened to oppose its inclusion in the budget.
Anucha said the government’s decision showed that Prayuth understood the concerns of the public, so the money would instead be used for other purposes, such as a relief program for those who have been affected by the pandemic.
Thailand is to begin negotiations with China on the details of delaying the purchase, he said.
A report in the Bangkok Post said that Beijing has already agreed to the delay.
Thailand expects to receive its first modern submarine in 2023 as part of the same deal. Its purchase was funded in the 2017 budget.
The delay could ease the pressure on the government, which has been facing a well-organized student-led protest movement seeking to oust it from power.
The protesters, who say their goal is greater democracy, want new elections, amendments to the constitution and an end to intimidation of government critics.
They had claimed that the request to fund the submarine purchases was an example of how the Thai government has neglected the public good in favor of expensive military projects with debatable benefits.
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