The House committee scrutinizing the 2021 budget has voted to delay payment to China for 2 submarines after Gen Prayuth Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister and Defence Minister, ordered the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) to reconsider.

A submarine in the Chinese Navy. (Source: Wikipedia)

The vote was made after the committee’s discussion on 31 August. Chairperson Santi Prompat said during the meeting that the RTN has made a statement insisting on the need for the procurement. Meanwhile, the Covid-19 pandemic is still not under control. 

Therefore, the RTN requested the payment to be delayed and the removal of the entire first payment of 3,925 million baht from the 2021 budget. The RTN and the Defence Ministry will discuss with China the process to ensure Thailand procures the submarines on schedule.

The vote was 63 to 0 with 3 abstentions. 

Santi said the discussion mainly stated that the submarines are needed and that 3 are still less than enough as Thailand has thousands of kilometres of coastline and disputed maritime areas that affect security.

The submarine deal in its entirety costs 22.5 billion baht for 3 Yuan Class S26T submarines from China. The Navy is already waiting for the first delivery in 2023.

Government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri said that procurement of the remaining 2 submarines was still on track. The withheld budget would be diverted to fight the pandemic.

The procurement became a hot issue when opposition MPs in a budget subcommittee questioned the procurement in this fiscal year when the Thai people are suffering from the Covid-19 pandemic. With stalemate in the subcommittee vote, the chairperson, from the ruling coalition, voted in favour of the procurement.

Source: TNA, BBC Thai, Bangkok Post