Thailand to spend US$250 million on private VIP jets

The cabinet has approved an 8.8-billion-baht (US$270 million) budget to procure private VIP jets for members of the Thai royal family, ministers and honoured guests.

Proposed by the Prime Minister’s secretariat and approved on Tuesday, the plan includes procurement of new aircraft and components, and training of personnel. It’s just the latest of many curious budget decisions we can expect before the forthcoming general election as PM Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha seeks to establish his legacy.

The money will be spent over four years from fiscal year 2024 – 1.75 billion baht in 2024, 2.19 billion baht in 2025, 2.20 billion baht in 2026 and 2.63 billion baht in 2027.

The main beneficiary of the private VIP jets appears to be the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) who want to replace the old Airbus A340-500 procured from Thai Airways for VIP travel. The Airbus is currently used to transport…