<div> <div>Despite a growing deficit, Thailand’s junta-appointed parliament has voted unanimously in favour of a draft government budget that allocates an extra 8.8 billion baht to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in 2018.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 8 June 2017, Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the head of the country’s junta, dedicated two and a half hours to clarifying to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) the details of a draft government budget of 2.99 trillion baht for 2018.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>220 billion baht is allocated to the MoD, an increase from last year of 8.8 billion baht </div></div>

<p>Military officers managing Rajabhakti Park, the military’s royal theme park plagued with allegations of corruption, have asked Hua Hin Municipality to pay for the maintenance of the park.</p> <p>Jirawat Prammanee, Deputy City Clerk of Hua Hin Municipality in the central province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, told the media that the Executive Committee of Rajabhakti Park has asked Hua Hin Municipality to pay 120,000 baht (about 3,400 USD) per month for the maintenance costs of the park,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.posttoday.com/local/south/437479">Posttoday</a>&nbsp;reported.</p>

<p>No trace of corruption or malfeasance was found in the construction of a royal monument overseen by former army chief Udomdej Sitabutr as widely alleged in media reports, a junta-appointed committee declared today.</p> <p>Concluding a three-month investigation, the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission said Wednesday there was no evidence to back up allegations Gen. Udomdej, himself a member of the junta, engaged in any corrupt practices in the Rajabhakti Park project completed last year in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Thai military have summoned a Pheu Thai Party member for a talk after he criticised the military’s Royal Park corruption scandal.</p>