The military has defended the use of public donations to improve an army-run hospital after taking flak from critics on social media.
The case came to the fore due to an ongoing fundraising exercise led by rock star Artiwara Kongmalai, aka Toon Bodyslam, who is soliciting donations to upgrade 21 hospitals nationwide through his charity marathon across Thailand.
The army-run Phramongkutklao Hospital is on the list of intended recipients.
The charity run starts from the southern border district of Betong in Yala and ends in Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai in the North, covering a distance of 2,191km. It is due to wrap up in just over two months.
Critics have ridiculed Toon for helping to mobilise funds for the hospital. They say the army should divert some of its budget to this cause rather than go begging to the public.
Some argued this is the responsibility of the military procurement budget and slammed the celebrity's fundraising run as an exercise -- in futility.
Other critics have alleged the army is spending so much of its budget on buying weapons that it is now unable to develop its own hospital.
Gen Thanchaiyan Srisuwan, chief of the defence forces, said Wednesday the budget for purchasing weapons, building hospital wards and improving medical services must all be planned in advance.
They are separate budgets as they serve different purposes, he said.
When talking about improving medical facilities, a number of factors must be taken into account including fairly apportioning doctors and nurses according to the size of the local population or catchment area, he added.
"I must thank Toon for his efforts and contributions. He has my full moral support," Gen Thanchaiyan said.
Meanwhile, the government has approved a central budget of more than 1 billion baht to repair 129 roads nationwide starting next month, according to army chief Chalermchai Sitthisad.
The repair work, which the army said is expected to take three months to finish, will be carried out by military engineers and technicians.
