The junta’s cabinet has given the greenlight to the Ministry of Defence to spend 2.3 billion baht for buying tanks from China.
On 13 June 2017, the cabinet approved 2.3 billion baht budget for buying 34 VN-1 tanks from the People’s Republic of China according to Voice TV.
The government claimed that the procurement is necessary for replacing the obsolete tanks.
The deal was made after earlier this year the junta approved the plan to spend nearly 40 billion baht for buying 38 VT-4 tanks and commissioning three submarines from China, maintaining that new weapons are vital for defence.
Many people, however, have raised eyebrows at the policy of spending 36 billion baht for submarines and plans to buy more tanks during the current period of economic stagnation and rumours that the junta might scrap the universal public healthcare system.
VN-1 tanks (Photo from Youtube)
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