Thread: Royal Thai Navy to switch from a Chinese submarine to a frigate : Defence Minister

The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has decided to switch from procuring a submarine from China to a frigate, estimated to cost 17 billion baht compared to the S26T Yuan-class submarine’s price tag of 13.5 billion, Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang said today (Friday).


Thailand had agreed to procure two S26T Yuan-class submarines, to be equipped with German-made engines, from China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Company (CSOC).


An unresolved issue over the submarine’s engine, with Germany refusing to supply China with the technology, has, however, delayed the procurement. Sutin said that the RTN and the Defence Ministry have agreed that the submarine procurement must be reviewed, based on the worthiness of the project vis-à-vis its price tag.


The defence minister said that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin raised the issue with his Chinese counterpart during his visit to China earlier this week and China has agreed to consider the RTN’s plan to switch from submarine to frigate, said Sutin, adding that the submarine procurement project has not been scrapped per se.


The defence minister said he believes the procurement deal could be concluded next month.


Royal Thai Navy to switch from a Chinese submarine to a frigate : Defence Minister | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world

And so they now purchase a ship from their greatest potential enemy. Great idea.

If the Sukothai anything to go by this may yet be a submersible

Originally Posted by david44

If the Sukothai anything to go by this may yet be a submersible

Beat me to it.

according to the BP, it is going to be an anti-submarine frigate. So then they can justify getting subs in a few years by saying they need them to train the crew of this frigate properly....sneaky!! and then they might realise that the seas around thailand are much too shallow for submarine operations, as experts have been telling them.

Originally Posted by Hugh Cow

And so they now purchase a ship from their greatest potential enemy. Great idea.

Err, they’re not an enemy, they’re their closest friend in the region.

Originally Posted by david44

If the Sukothai anything to go by this may yet be a submersible

Ships getting promoted to submarine. That's just copying current Russian Navy doctrine.

merely the anticipation of the eye watering juicy payola involved in this 17 billion baht waste of taxpayers money must have those generals coming in their pants.

Originally Posted by taxexile

merely the anticipation of the eye watering juicy payola involved in this 17 billion baht waste of taxpayers money must have those generals coming in their pants.

And given the timing, I suspect a certain VIP is on his way back from Chinkystan with slightly more in his luggage than that with which he departed.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

And given the timing, I suspect a certain VIP is on his way back from Chinkystan with slightly more in his luggage than that with which he departed.

I do wonder how a frigate can be more expensive than a sub, especially considering maintenance.

Originally Posted by Topper

I do wonder how a frigate can be more expensive than a sub

Masts and sails are costly and it might be equipped with the GT200 system