Srettha inspects living conditions of low-ranking navy officers

Srettha informed the Royal Thai Navy just a few hours before he dropped in to check out the residences on Soi Arun Amarin 35 in Bangkok’s Bangkok Noi district. The prime minister was accompanied by RTN commander-in-chief Admiral Adung Phan-iam.

Originally built in 1968, there are 15 official houses for naval officers in the area, housing some 50 officials from the Naval Supply Department and the flotilla of the Naval Transport Department.

During the inspection, Srettha told reporters that he had spoken with Adung about his plan to build residences for junior naval officers before the senior officers.

The prime minister said new residences would be built in a tower format in order to keep costs in-line with the budget. To house the naval community on Soi Arun Amarin 35, the government might build one or two tall buildings.

Srettha said the official housing for naval officers on Soi Arun Amarin 35 were very old and so the government would build new structures to replace them.

“The navy commander-in-chief told me this spot needs new residences because it is located in the heart of the city,” Srettha said. The government would develop new residences there, along with the naval residences at King Rama V Fort in Samut Prakan.

After walking through the community, Srettha said it was his government’s policy to improve the well-being of junior police and military officers.

He said he had earlier inspected residences used by police and the army’s low-ranking officers and would soon improve their living spaces.

The prime minister said the government would improve the well-being of soldiers to attract young Thais to voluntarily enlist in the military services.

For the construction of naval residences, Srettha said,

If the 2024 budget is not approved quickly enough to allow early construction of the naval residences, Srettha said the government would allocate budget from the central fund to ensure the construction.

The prime minister added he would soon inspect the official houses for teachers and public health officials and would try to improve them as well.

Adung told reporters that he would propose the government build a structure that covers a lot of the available ground area and add many floors in order to house as many officers as possible.

He said junior naval officers were happy that the prime minister had paid attention to their living conditions.