On September 30, Admiral Jilabhorn, the new commander-in-chief of the Thailand Navy, told reporters after the handover ceremony that day, saying that it was a relatively heavy burden for him to be appointed by the king as commander of the navy, but since he was ordered, he must be fully prepared to perform his duties.
In this regard, the reporter talked about the promotion of the submarine procurement project, and Jilabhorn said that he also had a preliminary discussion with Admiral Adun (former commander-in-chief of the Navy) on this matter that morning, and it may be necessary to let the submarine project executive committee explain in detail again, but the overall situation has been submitted to Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Putang, and the Minister of Defense said that time is needed to study.
Giraphorn said he wanted Minister Puttang to explain his concerns and concerns on this matter, because submarines are an important combat force of the Navy and are part of the Navy's combat capability development plan. He said it was his duty to go to the House of Commons, including the opposition, to explain the importance of maritime security forces, especially in the context of the current international situation.
As for the 2026 fiscal year cruiser project procurement budget plan, Jiraphorn said that the military has drawn up a combat capability development plan, including aircraft carriers, submarines, combat vehicles, armored vehicles, artillery, etc., all of which will be submitted to the defense minister to inform them of their importance, and if agreed, they will be able to move forward. Explaining to the Government and the Budget Committee, he said that there might be a need to reach a consensus that the military has a responsibility to ensure the security of the country and the government.