Thai junta seeks US$10 billion in new security budget ahead of 2019 election
Military spending has risen since former army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha seized power from the civilian government in 2014, fitting a pattern of generals generously boosting budgets after their periodic coups
The Thai junta unveiled a new US$10 billion defence and security budget Thursday, in what may be its final opportunity to allocate extra funds to the armed forces before a promised return to elections early next year.
Military spending has risen since former army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha seized power from the civilian government in 2014, fitting a pattern of Thai generals generously boosting budgets after their periodic coups.
The figures, proposed to the junta-picked National Legislative Assembly for the 2019 financial year, represent US$7 billion for defence, a US$1 billion increase since the military seized power four years ago.
In addition the regime is planning US$3 billion in security spending to manage “new threats”, maintain “internal peace and order”, prevent transnational crimes and cyberattacks as well as protect the monarchy.
The overall national budget is US$94 billion of which the largest chunk – US$15.3 billion – is earmarked for the Ministry of Education.