Chavalit confirms U.S. satellite deal

Chavalit confirms U.S. satellite deal

BANGKOK (DPA): Thailand has agreed to grant the United States use of its satellite orbital slots in exchange for free use of six transponders on a U.S. satellite, Thai Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said yesterday.

Chavalit claimed that Thailand would soon sign a memorandum of understanding with the United States which would guarantee the government or Thai military free use of the satellite.

The prime minister's claim apparently contradicted an earlier statement made by Lieutenant General Aran Shomphisal, director of Thailand's Defense Space Center, who told reporters Monday that leasing the U.S transponders would cost 15 billion baht (US$600 million).

Even that expenditure would be considerably less than the military's initial proposal to invest 28 billion baht in its own satellite, for both intelligence-gathering and commercial purposes.