PM candidate sparks controversy after claim to buy 10 nuclear warheads
A prime ministerial candidate from the New Alternative Party sparked online controversy after claiming he would acquire up to 10 nuclear warheads to strengthen Thailand’s security against global powers.
As the General Election approaches in February, the party’s PM candidate Mongkolkit Suksintharanon promoted one of his security policies on Facebook yesterday, January 5. In the post, Mongkolkit wrote…
“Nuclear weapon costs around 640 million baht, and Thailand can have up to 10 devices if the country has the PM named Mongkolkit.”
The post quickly went viral, attracting more than 27,000 reactions and over 6,200 comments. Most Thai netizens criticised the proposal as unrealistic and unnecessary, while others mocked the idea. Some comments read…
“I don’t know what to say. Millions of words are in my mind. Three days won’t be enough for me to speak them.”
“So generous, investing your personal budget for the country?”
“Where’s the budget?”
“Elderly people still receive only 600 to 800 baht a month in support.”
Speaking to the media later, Mongkolkit clarified that small nuclear warheads cost around US$20 million, or approximately 640 million baht, while larger warheads can cost about US$270 million, depending on their destructive radius, ranging from a sub-district to an entire province.
He argued that if Thailand possessed at least 10 nuclear warheads, the total cost would be around 6.4 billion baht, which he said was not excessive compared with other military equipment such as submarines, which can cost tens of billions of baht.
Mongkolkit claimed that nuclear weapons would strengthen both Thailand’s military and economic security, adding that countries trading with Thailand would become more cautious and respectful, particularly within ASEAN.
However, the ThaiArmedForce website and Facebook page, which focus on military technology and defence issues, publicly opposed Mongkolkit’s proposal. The platform described the idea as impossible and said it was something that could only be discussed “at a drinking table.”
ThaiArmedForce stated that nuclear weapons are extremely difficult to obtain and are usually developed domestically by countries that possess them. It added that developing such weapons would require access to uranium, which is strictly controlled worldwide.
The page also noted that even if development were theoretically possible, Thailand would face strong international opposition, along with practical challenges such as where to test the weapons.
Mongkolkit previously sparked an online backlash in July last year when he proposed a measure to prevent the transmission of HIV, suggesting that sex should be banned for Thai residents under the age of 22.
