The Srettha government, especially Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang, deserves credit for trying to solve the controversial submarine procurement -- something the preceding government utterly failed to do.
Despite this, the defence minister and Royal Thai Navy (RTN) have yet to convince the public that the new deal truly benefits the country.
Over the weekend, Defence Minister Sutin announced the ministry would suspend the procurement of the 13.5-billion-baht submarine built by a Chinese state enterprise.
The new deal came after Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin negotiated with President Xi Jinping when he visited China last week. After ditching the 13.5-billion-baht submarine deal, the RTN now must buy a 17-billion-baht frigate from China instead.
The government hopes that the new deal will solve a problem inherited from the previous junta administration.
This original deal was signed in 2015 following strong support by former defence minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon. However, a bombshell was dropped over a year ago when news surfaced in the media that the Chinese company could not install the German-made engine stipulated by the RTN.
Despite the Thai government having already paid 7 billion baht in advance, the navy has refused to officially amend the contract to accept an untested Chinese prototype engine instead.
The bigger question, however, is how much the RTN has already spent. As well as the well-documented advance, it is shocking that, despite the many hiccups, the RTN may have spent billions more baht building infrastructure -- a dock, special storage for torpedoes, a new barge required for use with submarines, buildings for training crew, and telecommunication equipment.
It is a valid question to ask what the RTN plans to do with all the new, now unneeded, infrastructure. Who will be responsible?
It must also go without saying that the problem of this controversial procurement is entirely that of the Chinese concessionaire.
It remains a mystery whether the RTN was ever informed about the German ban on weapons exports.
It also remains an enigma why the Chinese concessionaire, a state enterprise, could not utilise proven Chinese navy submarine technology instead of trying to hector Thailand to use a prototype engine.
On Thursday, the lower-house committee on military affairs invited the defence minister and RTN chief of staff to answer questions about the procurement.
It needs to be said that this lower-house committee headed by the Move Forward Party had planned to broadcast this special inquiry, but the Defence Ministry disagreed and banned its airing.
It is such a pity that the government seems likely to hold this inquiry behind closed doors. It is a deal that encapsulates the culture of secrecy and lack of transparency that underlines armed forces procurements.
It would be regretful if Defence Minister Suthin, who has used a charm offensive to bring welcome change to the military, were spoilt the chance to make arms procurement more inclusive and transparent.
The defence minister and the Srettha government as a whole must not become confused. What society wants is transparent arms procurements and military reform. That means doing more than ditching a submarine in favour of a pricier frigate.