The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday made a recommendation urging the Ministry of Defence to revoke the 1992 Ministerial Regulation that allows high-ranking officers to keep soldiers as domestic helpers within 90 days, as the practice is a degradation of human dignity.

<p>According to a Cabinet resolution on 15 March on the 2023 annual budget, the Ministry of Defence has proposed a budget of 197,292.7 million baht, 2 per cent lower than the 2022 budget of 201,166.4 million baht. The Royal Offices under the King have also proposed a budget cut of 1.71 per cent. Some other budgets related to the monarchy generally either&nbsp;remain the same or increase.</p>

<p>The Defence Minister is looking to spend 3.2 billion baht more on new fighter jets &nbsp;</p> <p>On 1 August 2017, Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, the deputy junta head and Defence Minister,<a href="https://www.khaosod.co.th/politics/news_458854">&nbsp;told the media&nbsp;</a>before the weekly cabinet meeting that the Ministry will inform the cabinet about plans to spend 3.2 billion baht on four F-5 Mod fighter jets.</p>

<p>The Office of the Ombudsman of Thailand (OOT) has dismissed allegations of irregularities in the junta’s multi-billion baht submarine deal with China. &nbsp;</p> <p>Raksagecha Chaechai, Secretary-General of the OOT, announced that the OTT found no irregularities in the 13.5 billion baht submarine procurement of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), concluding that is not unconstitutional.</p> <p>He said a five-member committee tasked with investigating the matter concluded that the procurement was done in accordance with national strategic defence policy and that the RTN proposed the procurement.</p>

<p>The Ministry of Defence has claimed that soldiers merely asked for cooperation from a high-school student activist who was visited by plainclothes soldiers. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>After spending billions on submarines and tanks, the Ministry of Defence is planning to spend another 8.8 billion baht on new fighter jets for the Air Force.</p> <p>On 10 July 2017, the Ministry of Defence revealed that Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, the Defence Minister, will submit a proposal to the cabinet meeting on 11 July to procure eight T-50TH fighter jets from South Korea for the Royal Thai Air Force. The deal will cost the country about 8.8 billion baht.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The junta’s cabinet has given the greenlight to the Ministry of Defence to spend 2.3 billion baht for buying tanks from China.</p> <p dir="ltr">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 <a href="http://news.voicetv.co.th/thailand/498499.html">Voice TV</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The government claimed that the procurement is necessary for replacing the obsolete tanks.</p>

<p dir="ltr">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.</p> <p></p>

<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>A former member of the parliament (MP) from the Democrat Party says that more than half of Thailand’s military conscripts end up as servants for high-ranking military officers.</p> <p>On 4 April 2017, Wilat Chantarapitak, a former Democrat Party MP and former advisor to a parliamentary anti-corruption committee,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.matichon.co.th/news/519449">told the media</a>&nbsp;that the military conscription system in Thailand is in crisis.</p>

<p>After spending billions of baht on submarines from China, the Defence Ministry now plans to buy more tanks for the Army.</p> <p>At the Cabinet meeting on 4 April 2017, Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, the Defence Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and deputy junta head, said the cabinet&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bangkokbiznews.com/news/detail/748608">will not discuss</a>&nbsp; the plan to spend 36 billion baht on three ‘Yuan Class S26T’ submarines from China.</p> <p>He said the Defence Ministry’s Permanent Secretary’s Office still needs to check the details of the submarine procurement contract.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The Thai government has asked Laotian authorities to deport Thais wanted for lèse majesté.</p> <p dir="ltr">On 31 January 2017, Gen Thawip Netniyom, Secretary-General of the National Security Council, <a href="http://www.matichon.co.th/news/446635">announced to media</a> plans to travel to Laos to seek cooperation from the country’s government in monitoring the activities of certain Thai nationals.</p> <p dir="ltr">A group of five to six Thais residing in Laos are producing radio programs deemed defamatory to the Thai Monarchy, said Thawip.</p>