Thai minister ready to battle over funding for Russian helicopter

[snoop1130]

 

Thai Interior Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, is set to challenge the parliamentary subcommittee’s refusal to approve funding for a new Russian-made helicopter. The helicopter is intended to augment the capabilities of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), particularly in dealing with the country’s increasing wildfires and haze pollution.

 

The subcommittee, tasked with scrutinising the fiscal budget for 2024, had previously denied the ministry’s request for 950 million baht for this procurement. However, Anutin, who also holds the position of Deputy Prime Minister, maintains that the DDPM requires at least two additional helicopters. The first of these, he insists, should be financed through the 2024 fiscal budget.

 

Anutin stressed the importance of helicopters in not only combating wildfires and haze pollution but also in executing crucial operations such as rescue missions. These can often pose significant risks, particularly when rescuing injured individuals or wildlife from challenging terrains.

 

Currently, the DDPM operates a fleet of only four helicopters, a number Anutin believes is insufficient for the department’s growing responsibilities. He plans to counter the budget cut by appealing to the primary House committee that oversees the budget bill. In preparation, he has discussed the procurement plan with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and other senior members of the Pheu Thai Party, although the outcomes of these discussions remain undisclosed.

 

Yuttapong Charasathien, a Pheu Thai MP for Maha Sarakham and deputy chair of the House sub-committee, justified the rejection of the funding request by citing the country’s sluggish economy. He argued that the government should prioritise stimulating economic policies, such as the 10,000-baht digital wallet scheme.

 

Yuttapong also highlighted concerns over the DDPM’s past procurement of four helicopters. The issue arose due to discrepancies between the price paid by the DDPM and the amount other countries paid for the same Russian model. Additionally, he noted that the DDPM lacks a proper hangar for the current fleet of helicopters, which are temporarily stationed at the army’s aviation centre in Lop Buri, reported Bangkok Post.

 

By Mitch Connor

Caption: PHOTO: via Alessia Pierdomenico from flickr

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-03-04

 

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[rexpotter]

What's his cut?

[beautifulthailand99]

3 months visa free for Russians, and now helicopters. Thailand is probably getting a lot of hooky sanction busting oil cheap and a laundromat for Russian finance. There's no bad money in Thailand just money.

[Stocky]

13 minutes ago, rexpotter said:

What's his cut?

By the sound of it quite possibly considerable

Quote

"The issue arose due to discrepancies between the price paid by the DDPM and the amount other countries paid for the same Russian model."

 

[bamnutsak]

He already took his "commission".

[worgeordie]

56 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

 

Anutin stressed the importance of helicopters in not only combating wildfires and haze pollution

What about stopping fires from starting , catch the Arsonists , this could be done with the help of

drones , not Russian crap helicopters , if a drone crashes not really a problem ,but Thailand has a

history of losing helicopters.

 

regards Worgeordie

 

 

[NoDisplayName]

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Additionally, he noted that the DDPM lacks a proper hangar for the current fleet of helicopters, which are temporarily stationed at the army’s aviation centre in Lop Buri, reported Bangkok Post.

 

Don't they have an unused aircraft carrier in need of aircraft to carry?

[Pi Tao]

Helicopter, with or whithout engine ?

[Georgealbert]

The DDPM are currently using 4 Russian helicopters, Kamov 4, Ka-32A11BC variant, so assume they want 4 more similar.

 

The Thai army has 10 Russian helicopters, Mil Mi-17, with more on order.

 

This is the DDPM helicopter deployed in fire fighting this week.

[jacko45k]

10 hours ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

3 months visa free for Russians, and now helicopters. Thailand is probably getting a lot of hooky sanction busting oil cheap and a laundromat for Russian finance. There's no bad money in Thailand just money.

Being one of the few sanction busters is proving lucrative!

[rovinman]

10 hours ago, Stocky said:

By the sound of it quite possibly considerable

 

 

Quote :

The subcommittee, tasked with scrutinising the fiscal budget for 2024, had previously denied the ministry’s request for 950 million baht for this procurement.

 

At the current exchange rate,  {1 ThB = 2.56 Rouble}, 950M ThB = 2432,000,000 Rouble  

That's 2.4 Billion Roubles  ! ! ! ! !  { Seems expensive to me  ! }

Does this include Secondary Sanctions  ?

What about Maintenance  ?  Can the Russians get the Spare parts needed ? {like computer chips, which they cant get for any other Aircraft ?}

 

I think that "the parliamentary subcommittee’s refusal to approve funding for a new Russian-made helicopter."

is justified  !

[hotchilli]

11 hours ago, rexpotter said:

What's his cut?

Gotta be 20% off the top.

[Hamus Yaigh]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Gotta be 20% off the top.

 

Along with all the blood shed by innocent Ukrainian civilians.

[brianthainess]

Disgraceful IF this goes ahead dealing with a wanted war criminal, and putting money in his grubby shaking hand. IF this goes ahead then Thailand should face sanctions IMO.

[john donson]

request for 950 million baht for this procurement.

 

for 1 said helicopter ?

 

what was the cargo ?

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

 

Along with all the blood shed by innocent Ukrainian civilians.

Could have been stopped long ago if Boris didn't interfere at the behest of USA

A peace plan was on the table...

[rexpotter]

Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk $21 Million, that's 5 million in somebody's pocket.

[rexpotter]

26,480,307.04 US Dollars

1 THB = 0.0278740 USD

1 USD = 35.8757 THB

 

[transam]

Better be quick, they're being snapped up at an alarming rate...............😥

[connda]

They need a few KA-52s to run up and down the Burmese border liquidating the cross-border methamphetamine trade.

[Georgealbert]

This gives more details of the helicopter’s specifications, not sure how current the quoted price is.

 

https://aerocorner.com/aircraft/kamov-ka-32a/

[PETERTHEEATER]

For those with long memories there was a scandal in the UK over the procurement of helicopters.

With typical Britishness a well known broadsheet newspaper headlined:

 

Allegations of impropriety in the Westland affair

 

A well know tabloid newspaper headlined:

 

Who told that chopper whopper.......😁