Navy defends purchase of two Chinese submarines
published : 18 Jul 2021 at 12:22
writer: Gary Boyle
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Wassana Nanuam

The navy is pushing to pay in yearly instalments for the two submarines it is buying, despite heavy criticism.
The national budget expenditure bill, before the House of Representatives, includes the navy's contentious plan to purchase two subs from China worth 22.5 billion baht.
The purchase is part of the 200-billion-baht defence budget being considered by a House scrutiny panel.
The first payment was supposed to have been approved last year but was postponed so the money could be used to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
The navy is back at the House to defend the spending again. Navy spokesman Chettha Jaipiam insisted the force was duty-bound to do so.
"It's a matter of procedure," Adm Chettha said, noting that whether the spending will be passed or not is a separate issue. "There is no ulterior motive," he said.
The navy was aware of opposition to the defence budget and its plan to acquire the subs.
"We face resistance whenever the issue is brought before the committee," Adm Chettha said.
If the lawmakers insisted the procurement was premature, there was nothing the navy could do.
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Vocabulary
- contentious: causing or likely to cause disagreement - ซึ่งโต้เถียงกัน, ซึ่งเป็นที่ถกเถียงกัน
- defend: to say things to support someone or something - ปกป้อง
- duty-bound: required by your job or assignment - ขอบข่ายหน้าที่หรืองานที่ได้รับมอบหมาย
- expenditure: money spent by a government, organization, or person - การใช้จ่าย (เงิน)
- House of Representatives: the main lawmaking body in Thailand - สภาผู้แทนราษฎร
- instalments (noun): payments made every month/year to pay for something or pay back a loan - งวด, งวดเงินผ่อน, เงินผ่อน
- premature: happening too soon - เร็วเกินไป
- procedure: a way of doing something - ขั้นตอนการดำเนินการ
- purchase: the process of buying something - การซื้อ
- resistance: opposition to some or something - การต่อต้าน
- scrutiny: careful and thorough examination - การตรวจสอบอย่างละเอียด
- ulterior: that somebody keeps hidden and does not admit - ซึ่งลี้ลับ, ซึ่งซ่อนเร้น, ซึ่งแอบแฝง