Lawmaker Questions Police's 3.5 Million Baht Diving Gear Purchase
A Thai lawmaker questioned the National Police's 3.5 million baht diving gear purchase request, saying the price is roughly 100 times higher than market rate and suspicious quotations include unrelated kayak equipment.
Lawyer and MP Jame Jamkunanont expressed alarm on September 10 during parliamentary budget deliberations over the Special Operations Command's request to purchase diving equipment for 3.4 to 3.5 million baht—a sum she called highly irregular. Any professional diver knows that even the most premium diving equipment costs no more than 200,000 to 300,000 baht per set, making this request roughly 100 times over market price. Upon reviewing quotations and technical specifications from three vendors with a mid-range bid of approximately 3 million baht, Jame found the specifications aligned with standard market equipment. She noted that the quotation mysteriously included kayaks and paddle equipment, which contradicts the scuba diving system specifications and appears unrelated. Jame called for thorough investigation to ensure the National Police Office is not committing corruption or fraud through this diving equipment budget request.
