Thai Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has said he would appeal a funding request rejection for two Kamov Ka32 helicopters for the ministry’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM). Mr Anutin, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said the DDPM needs two more Ka32s and the first purchase should come from the 2024 fiscal budget and the other in a later year. He added that these helicopters are even more important now the country has to deal with more wildfires and haze pollution than in the past.

The DDPM currently has four Kamov Ka32 helicopters, which are not enough to fight wildfires and haze pollution and conduct rescue operations, he added.

Local press reports that the decision not to approve the 950 million baht (US $26.5M) budget request because of the sluggish economy, and that the government needs to prioritise its economic stimulation policies. Additionally, it is also noteworthy that the DDPM’s past procurement of four helicopters had faced media questions over the price paid, citing other countries paying much less for the same model of helicopter with an unsubstantiated figure of 500 million baht per unit quoted.

The DDPM currently does not have a dedicated hangar for the four helicopters, and they are parked temporarily in the army’s aviation centre in Lop Buri.