Lawmaker Challenges Royal Rainmaking Bureau's 960 Million Baht Radar Purchase
A Bangkok lawmaker challenged the Royal Rainmaking Bureau's 960 million baht radar purchase plan, arguing it creates redundancy when the Meteorology Department already operates an adequate nationwide network.
During parliamentary budget debate on September 8, Bangkok MP Chayapol Sattondee of the Pheu Thai Party challenged the Royal Rainmaking Bureau's proposal to purchase two new radar stations at approximately 480 million baht each, to be installed in Udon Thani and Phimai district in Nakhon Ratchasima province. Sattondee questioned whether the purchase aligns with the bureau's core mission of rainmaking, noting that the agency already operates five radar stations and could instead share data with the Meteorology Department's existing network of 12 radars that already covers the entire country.
The lawmaker pointed out significant redundancy in the proposal, stating that the two new radars would overlap with the bureau's existing nine stations as well as the Meteorology Department's network. He emphasized that the radar specifications offered no advantage over equipment already available from other government agencies. Sattondee argued that the real issue is not equipment shortage but poor coordination and management, suggesting a unified database connecting all existing air radars from various military and civilian agencies would be far more cost-effective than spending 960 million baht on new purchases that would only add to the duplication problem.
