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The government’s plan to procure alternative armaments instead of a submarine is reasonable as long as it keeps within budget, according to the House committee on national security.

The remark was made by the committee chair, Move Forward Party (MFP) MP Rangsiman Rome, after the panel’s visit to the defence permanent secretary’s office, where he met Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang and armed forces leaders yesterday.

Mr Rangsiman made an appointment to see the minister last week. The committee put several queries to Mr Sutin, including the plan by the navy to swap its planned procurement of a Chinese submarine for a frigate.

The switch was prompted by China’s inability to acquire a German engine for the submarine the navy had ordered. Berlin cited regulatory restrictions preventing engines it produces from being used in Chinese military hardware.

Mr Sutin said the government has settled on procuring a frigate instead of a submarine, although the new deal is estimated to cost a billion baht more.

Yesterday, Mr Rangsiman said the public would understand the merit of the switch if the navy was able to justify it. People would not object as long as a deal swap does not exceed the budget earmarked for the 16-billion-baht submarine.

The House committee appeared to soften its tone after the meeting with Mr Sutin. The MFP has been openly critical of what it calls a splurge on weapon procurements by the military and vowed to rein in such spending.

Mr Rangsiman added that he believed the Defence Ministry was perceptive to public concerns about the submarine purchase deal.

The House committee was open to an exchange of information about buying a submarine if the ministry insisted on owning one in the future. The panel will gain more understanding through talks and consultations, he said.

The panel acknowledged the sensitivity surrounding the deal switch, which has a bearing on bilateral relations with China. Mr Rangsiman said Mr Sutin assured him the government would handle the matter in a way that would minimise impacts on ties. Mr Rangsiman said the committee also raised the emergency decree imposed in the far South in discussions with Mr Sutin.

He said the military argued in favour of maintaining the decree currently in effect across most parts of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat and parts of Songkhla.

The Foreign Ministry has confirmed three more Thai workers were taken hostage during the Hamas attack on Israel, revising up the total number of Thai hostages to 22, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said yesterday.

He was answering reporters’ questions at the Wing 23 air terminal at Udon Thani airport before his official trip to Laos.

The records also show that the number of those killed and injured in the attack remained at 32 and 19, respectively, as of Sunday.

The situation in Israel has now deteriorated as Israel’s retaliatory ground offensive has begun, leading to travel difficulties within the area, according to the premier.

As of yesterday, 7,415 Thai workers had returned home; 630 of those arrived just yesterday, divided into three flights.

However, as some still live in Israel, Mr Srettha suggested those Thai workers should quickly contact Thai authorities and register for evacuation from the country before the situation becomes even worse.

“Today, I will talk to the Foreign Affairs Minister [Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara] for situation updates. More people may have to leave for negotiations,” he added.

Thai officials were engaged in talks for the release of the Thai hostages. The armed forces supreme commander had been in Malaysia as part of this process, Mr Srettha said.

Asked whether Hamas had targeted Thai workers, Mr Srettha said he did not think so because Thailand was not involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict in the first place.

“We, in fact, are more likely victims of the war because there are more workers from Thailand in Israel than from other countries,” Mr Srettha said.

Asked about Thais who may have been stranded near the Gaza Strip, Mr Srettha admitted some were still listed as missing.

“We are still assessing the situation. But, with the ground offensive, communications are shut down, making it more difficult [to assess the situation],” he said.

Senators also asked to give their input

A sub-committee tasked with gathering public opinion on a charter rewrite referendum has kicked off its work with a plan to wrap up its assignment by the third week of December.

The panel, chaired by Nikorn Chamnong, is one of two sub-committees under the government committee to study the design of the charter amendment referendum headed by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.

The other is tasked with drawing up guidelines for a referendum.

Speaking after the meeting with the Senate committee on political development and public participation, Mr Nikorn said the Senate’s opinions are being sought because their votes can determine the outcome of the charter rewrite proposal.

He said the senators are also being urged to deliberate the questions proposed for the referendum and make suggestions for discussion when parliament reconvenes.

According to Mr Nikorn, his panel will later this week meet Move Forward Party (MFP) MP Parit Wacharasindhu in his capacity as the chairman of the House committee on political development to discuss the matter.

Gathering opinions from MPs and senators is crucial to the work although their opinions may carry different weight, he said, adding the panel will also hold talks with the main opposition MFP to find a solution as the party disagrees with this approach.

After collecting input from student and youth groups next week at Government House, the panel will hold a public hearing tour across the country with the final forum scheduled for Dec 7 in the deep South.

The findings should be ready for submission to the Phumtham committee by the third week of December and the summary will be forwarded to the government early next year, he said.

Mr Nikorn said the government has decided to have a new charter written, without making changes to chapters 1 and 2, because the rewrite process allows people to take part and ensures the new charter reflects their will.

Meanwhile, senator Jadet Insawang, vice chairman of the Senate committee on public participation, on Monday doubted that the charter amendment would benefit the general public.

He said the charter amendment should not be hurried and the matter is likely to create an extensive debate that might potentially lead to a new round of political division.

The senator said he disagrees with the idea of completely rewriting the charter but is willing to review the proposed changes point by point.

The digital wallet scheme, the government’s flagship policy, will face a seven-month delay and is expected to be launched around September next year, according to a prime minister’s adviser.

Speaking at a forum organised by the Senate to discuss the handout scheme, Pichai Chunhavajira insisted the policy was necessary to stimulate the economy but was unlikely to be implemented in February as planned.

The scheme, which is expected to be funded by the annual budget, will face a seven-month delay and is slated for September, he said.

Mr Pichai said the policy will be adjusted to reduce its scope following concerns from many quarters, and so the number of eligible people is estimated to be around 40 million.

The 4km radius restriction in which the digital money can be spent is likely to be revised to cover an entire district to ensure the money is spread evenly, he said, adding the Pao Tang application may be used for the scheme because developing a new one is time-consuming.

Former deputy finance minister Pisit Lee-atham said the handout scheme is not sustainable and the money should be spent on development projects that will increase people’s productivity.

The government should try to reduce costs and spur people’s capacity to produce rather than giving them money and hoping that it will bring about sustainable growth, he told the forum.

Mr Pisit also suggested that the government listen to the Budget Bureau. Otherwise, the project’s implementation will risk violating fiscal discipline.

Meanwhile, Ongart Khlampaiboon, acting deputy leader of the Democrat Party, said on Facebook that the government’s inability to find the money to finance the scheme showed that the ruling Pheu Thai Party did not think the policy through.

He said narrowing down the programme possibly shows the government was struggling to find the funding for the scheme.

He called on the prime minister to specify where the money would come from.

Last week, a sub-committee overseeing the project implementation recommended limiting the handout using income or savings as the criteria.

Countries set $11bn bilateral trade target

Thailand and Laos will work together to boost the value of bilateral trade to US$11 billion (395.7 billion baht) in the next two years, according to government spokesman Chai Wacharonke.

He was summarising the outcome of a meeting between Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone during an official visit to the neighbouring country on Monday.

The dialogue covered a wide range of topics, including trade and investment, energy cooperation, rail and road connectivity, transport and logistics, and security cooperation.

The spokesman said Mr Srettha expressed readiness to support economic links between the two countries and turn Laos and the Northeast of Thailand into a “growth area”.

Mr Srettha proposed that the two countries find ways to improve bilateral trade to $11 billion by 2025, Mr Chai said, adding that Thailand is ready to host a meeting between the Commerce Ministry and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Laos to discuss plans to realise this ambition.

The prime minister also voiced support for the Lao government’s policy to turn the land-locked country into a major regional “land link”, Mr Chai said, adding that Thailand was also ready to work with Laos to develop infrastructure and boost transport connectivity between the two countries.

Mr Srettha said the two sides should step up efforts to finalise details regarding a project to build a new railway bridge across the Mekong River, linking the northeastern province of Nong Khai with Vientiane, the Lao capital, the spokesman said.

Thailand was ready to offer a soft loan to Laos to fund the project, the spokesman quoted the prime minister as saying.

Mr Srettha also asked Laos to set clear cargo-handling charges at the Vientiane Logistic Park, Laos’s first-ever integrated logistics facility designed to provide comprehensive logistics services so Thai operators can plan their cargo transport in advance.

The prime minister suggested Laos allow trucks from Thailand to enter as they had before the coronavirus pandemic and expressed an interest in buying more clean energy from Laos to support industrial growth, the spokesman said.

Mr Chai went on to say that the two sides have attached importance to tackling the issue of cross-border haze pollution and have agreed that efforts should be made to speed up a joint action plan between Thailand, Laos and Myanmar to deal with the problem.

Thailand also has a plan to support Laos’s efforts to devise a fire risk map as well as a plan to provide training for its officials, Mr Chai said.

After the meeting, Mr Srettha and the Lao prime minister witnessed the signing of several cooperation documents between the two countries.

They included a memorandum of understanding on an exchange between the Culture Ministry and Laos’ Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism; the Record of Discussions between the Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency and the Lao National Railway for capacity building and locomotive driving training as well as technical assistance and ticketing system implementation.

They also agreed on the development of a business model for the Lao National Railway.

Mr Srettha later paid a courtesy call on Laos’ president and general secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, Thongloun Sisoulith.

Mr Srettha informed the president about his talks with the Lao prime minister, while the Lao president commended the close relations and cooperation between the two countries and expressed hope that the outcome of the meeting would be taken forward in a tangible manner for the mutual benefit of both countries, the spokesman said.

Following the meetings, Mr Srettha and his Lao counterpart jointly presided over the opening of the Khamsavath railway station in Vientiane.

The new station, which allows passengers from Thailand to travel by train to inner Vientiane, will help promote tourism and boost cross-border trade between the two countries, Mr Chai said.

Thailand has hiked domestic sugar prices by 20%, a senior official told Reuters on Monday, a move aimed at narrowing the gap between local and global sugar prices.

White sugar increased from 19 baht to 23 baht per kg, Cane and Sugar Board deputy secretary-general Virit Viseshsindh said, while refined white sugar rose to 24 baht per kg from 20 baht.

The change come into effect on Saturday, Oct 28, he said.

Thailand this year is expected to produce 8 million tonnes of sugar, of which 2.5 million are consumed domestically. 

Another 810 Thai workers returned home from Israel on Monday, on four flights, raising the total number of evacuees to 7,415.

Thai Lion Air Flight SL7001 landed at Don Mueang airport at 8.40am with 180 returnees.

They were greeted by Aree Krainara, secretary to the labour minister and other ministry officias who assisted them through all formalities before they cotinued on to thei rhome provinces.

Three other flights arrived with another 630 evacuated workers.

A Royal Thai Air Force plane landed at Don Mueang airport at 2.50am, and two commercial flights arrived later at Suvarnabhumi airport.

The 810 arrivals brought the number of returnees since hostilities began with the Oct 7 attack on Israel by Hamas to 7,415.

The Bangkok South Criminal Court on Monday sentenced a young woman studying at Thammasat University to two years and eight months in jail, suspended for two years, and fined her 8,000 baht on charges of insulting the monarchy and breaking the emergency law.

The case was brought by public prosecutors.

Benja Apan, a Thammsat University student, read out a statement against “capitalism, militarism and feudalism” issued by the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration at a rally in front of Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction Plc on Asoke road on Aug 10, 2021.

The content of the statement was deemed lese majeste.

Ms Benja was charged with violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the lese majeste law, and the emergency decree of 2005.

The court heard testimony from prosecution and defence witnesses, and on Monday judged her guilty as charged. She was sentenced three years in prison and fined 8,000 baht fine for lese majeste, and one year in prison and a fine of 12,000 baht for violating the emergency decree – four years in prison and 20,000 baht in fines fine in total. All sentences are consecutive.

Since Ms Benja is still studying for a bachelor’s degree at university and had never previously been given a jail sentence, the penalties were commuted by one-third to two years and eight months in jail and a fine of 8,000 baht. The prison term was suspended for two years.

Fellow members of the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration gathered in front of the court in a show of support.

Ms Benja said she still had to fight eight other cases, all laid under Section 112. Meanwhile, she would concentrate on her studies. She had about one year to go for a degree, she said.