Thailand aims to amend laws to boost arms exports

The Thai Defence Ministry is moving to amend four key laws to facilitate arms exports, namely domestically produced weapons, aiming to bolster Thailand’s defence industry.

During a recent meeting, Defence Ministry officials, including General Somsak Rungsita and Vice Defence Minister Jumnong Chaimongkol, discussed the necessary changes to national security legislation.

High-ranking representatives from the Defence Industry Department, the Defence Technology Institute, and the Defence Industry and Energy Centre were also in attendance to support this initiative.

Jumnong noted that Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang is determined to leverage the ministry’s capabilities to drive the defence sector and generate revenue for Thailand. However, several legal and regulatory challenges were identified during the meeting.

Currently, some acts pose obstacles to the planned exports, including the Private Arms Factory Act (2007), Arms Control Act (1987), Control of Export of Armaments and War Materials Out of the Kingdom Act (1952), and Defence Technology Institute Act BE (2019).

For Jumnong, these laws currently are seen as an obstruction to the ministry’s policy goals of exporting domestically produced weapons.

To address these issues, the task force plans to collaborate with private-sector entrepreneurs and partners of the Defence Technology Institute. This collaborative effort aims to modernise the existing legislation, making it more conducive to the ministry’s objectives.

The Defence Ministry’s push to amend these laws underscores a strategic shift towards enhancing Thailand’s defence capabilities and positioning the country as a competitive player in the global arms market, reported Bangkok Post.

In similar news, in a momentous event overseen by Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang, a ceremony unfolded on May 27 to transfer a cache of arms to Bhutan’s police force. The consignment included 10 armoured vehicles and 230 pistols, all manufactured by two Thai companies.

Set against the backdrop of the Defence Ministry‘s permanent secretary office building, the ceremony symbolised the strong defence cooperation between Thailand and Bhutan.