House Okays 168bb Defense Budget
 The House of Representatives has approved a 168 billion baht budget for defense spendings in current fiscal year.
Lawmakers voted 256 against 69 on Thursday to endorse the 168.8 billion baht defense spendings, 81.7 billion baht of which has been appropriated for the army. Of that total, 32.9 billion baht has been earmarked for the navy and 32.1 billion baht for the air force.
During floor debate on the budget bill, a few Puea Thai MPs unfruitfully called for a 5 to 10% cut in the entire defense spendings for fiscal 2012, saying more funding should be provided to betterment of the people's welfare in peace time as the country is not being engaged in any armed conflict.
MP Sunai Julpongsatorn said billions of baht in funding for the air force's planned purchase of four Swedish-made Gripen jet fighters could have been instead spent on the construction of a hospital building in every province throughout the country.
The Puea Thai legislator voiced his dissent to the army's setting up of a 3rd Cavalry Division in Kon Kaen and a 7th Infantry Division in Chiang Mai, considering those army units as ''unnecessary'' in modern-world scenarios.
MP Wichian Kaokam sought in vain to cut 200 million baht in funding for air-to-surface missiles mounted on the Gripen multi-role combat aircraft. ''One air-to-surface missile from the Gripen fighter is said to be capable of knocking out a modern-day battle tank. But we doubt there'll ever be an enemy with a modern-day battle tank to combat with,'' said the MP of Udorn Tani.
Calling for the 5% cut in the defense spendings, MP Weng Tochirakarn commented the military had unduly used force to stage coups to deny democratic rule, interfere in political affairs and quell unarmed civilians in the street.
The Puea Thai MP suggested the navy give up on its plan to procure submarines because, he said, the air force's US-made F-16 jet fighters, if fitted with sophisticated, electronic sensor gear, could do the chores of defending Thai maritime interests in the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea.
Relationships between the elected government under premiership of Yingluck Shinawatra and the military have appeared to improve with Defense Minister Gen Yuttasak Sasiprapa acting as a go-between.
The military leaders reportedly agreed to lunching with the woman premier, sister of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, at a two-months interval to foster closer working relationships, according to the defense minister.
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