The army plans to buy a new aircraft for general use worth 1.34 billion baht in the 2021 fiscal year, a source in the Army Transportation Department confirmed on Monday.
The announcement was made after a document showing the army's plan to procure a medium-sized aircraft circulated online.
The purchase was initially part of the 2020 fiscal year budget but was postponed to 2021 as a result of the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic, said the source.
The new plane, which is likely to be bought from Gulfstream Aerospace, will replace the current Beechcraft 1900yf, which has been in use for more than 30 years, to transport the army and VIPs.
The manufacturer of the Beechcraft earlier informed the army that it had stopped making the plane and spare parts would no longer be available, prompting the army to consider a replacement.
The source added that the purchase had been approved by a screening committee.