BANGKOK, Nov 2 (TNA) — The Royal Thai Army purchased AW139 and AW149 helicopters at reasonable prices, according to Deputy Prime Minister/Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.
Gen Prawit said their costs were not unusually high because the helicopters are for military purposes and include training and maintenance packages.
Gen Prawit was responding to activist Srisuwan Janya who asked the Office of the Auditor-General to investigate the purchase of AW139 and AW149 helicopters from AugustaWestland Co of Italy.
He said that the army’s helicopters were naturally more expensive than the helicopter from the same manufacturer, which crashed and killed King Power Co chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in Leicester on Saturday.
Vichai’s helicopter was of the AW169 series that was for commercial use but the army purchased military helicopters plus training and maintenance packages, Gen Prawit said.
He assured that the army’s purchases were government-to-government and their prices could not be inflated.
Lt Gen Kongcheep Tatrawanit, spokesman of the Defence Ministry, said the army’s AW139 and AW149 helicopters had 10-16 seats each while Vichai’s helicopter had 5-7 seats.
The bodies and engines of the army helicopters were bigger for military operations, he said.
Besides, the army’s purchases were scrutinized under a law governing the state’s procurement projects worth 1 billion baht and over each, Lt Gen Kongcheep said. (TNA)
