Thailand to acquire 120 U.S. armoured vehicles

 

FILE PHOTO: Thailand's Royal Army Chief General Apirat Kongsompong speaks during an interview with Reuters in Bangkok, Thailand, August 9, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's military plans to acquire 120 American-made armoured vehicles by 2020, with the first batch of 10 arriving next month, a Thai defence ministry source told Reuters on Wednesday.

 

The United States curbed military aid to Thailand following a 2014 army coup, but ties are improving after disputed elections this year that officially restored civilian rule under a government led by former junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha.

 

Army chief General Apirat Kongsompong told reporters that Thailand would receive 70 U.S. made armoured infantry carrier vehicles by the end of the year and 50 more next year, but did not give the value of the deal.

 

"The first delivery will consist of 10 vehicles and by the end of the year there will be 70 vehicles," Apirat said.

 

"There will be 50 vehicle in the next lot."

 

He said the armoured vehicles would be deployed at a base in Chachoengsao, south of the capital of Bangkok.

U.S. embassy officials were not immediately available to comment on the army chief's remarks.

 

A defence ministry source told Reuters that Thailand paid for 47 vehicles and the U.S. would supply 23 free in this year's purchase, while 50 more will be bought next year. The U.S. will also help the Thai army in the maintenance of the vehicles.

 

The source declined to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

 

In July, the U.S. State Department said it had approved a government-to-government Foreign Military Sales deal for 60 Stryker armoured vehicles and equipment, at an estimated cost of $175 million.

 

Under junta rule, Thailand bought tanks and infantry fighting vehicles from China to replace old U.S. models, as well as planning to set up a joint centre with China to produce and maintain military gear, as relations cooled between Washington and its oldest ally in Southeast Asia after the 2014 coup.

 

The United States remains an important ally for Thailand.

 

Next week, Thailand will host the opening of the first-ever maritime drill between the navies of the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the 11th Indo-Pacific army chief conference on Sept 9.

 

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-08-28

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Chachoengsao, eh?  Is there some threat of invasion from Cambodia in that direction? 

 

Chachoengsao is close to Bangkok.  Excellent expressway between the two.  And a railway also.

 

In the other direction, easy to reach into Isaarn from that base.

 

Can't help but wonder what "contingency" is being planned for with all these armored vehicles.

Edited August 28, 20196 yr by RLAretired

13 minutes ago, RLAretired said:

Chachoengsao is close to Bangkok.  Excellent expressway between the two.  And a railway also.

The base there is tasked with providing security for Suwannabumi Airport and Laem Chabang port I read recently. The rest of the APC's are to quell dissent in Bangkok if needed. There are no enemies elsewhere.

According to Wikipedia they are second hand/refurbished rather than new.

 

I wonder whether they will have the various bolt on additional armour (ceramic armour plates and slat armour cages to defeat RPGs) that were fitted to them as a result of experience in Iraq? They don't appear to have the new V shaped hull which is designed to be resistant to buried IEDs.

Mind you, they also have the ability to send text messages - which should go down a storm here!

 

The machine gun mounting, capable of being operated remotely from inside the vehicle, will be jolly useful in a hostile urban environment - no need to poke your head out of the top when you want to shoot at angry people on rooftops who may be throwing or firing things at you.

Edited August 28, 20196 yr by JAG

23 minutes ago, JAG said:

According to Wikipedia they are second hand/refurbished rather than new.

 

I wonder if they'll be sold at the Farang price?

 

 

29 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

The base there is tasked with providing security for Suwannabumi Airport and Laem Chabang port I read recently. The rest of the APC's are to quell dissent in Bangkok if needed. There are no enemies elsewhere.

Absolutely. They are to keep the population in check, nothing else.

18 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Absolutely. They are to keep the population in check, nothing else.

time to shoot some citizens again, they haven't done it for quite a while

 

it's not like Thai army ever fought against someone else

4 minutes ago, HeyHeyHey said:

time to shoot some citizens again, they haven't done it for quite a while

it's not like Thai army ever fought against someone else

The Thai Navy did. When the Japanese invaded Thailand on 8 December 1941, the Thai Navy fought them for nearly five hours, until they were instructed by their government to stop.

Capitulate? Never.

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

The base there is tasked with providing security for Suwannabumi Airport and Laem Chabang port

 

Ah, I didn't think of that.  Thank you @PatOngo for posting.

9 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

The Thai Navy did. When the Japanese invaded Thailand on 8 December 1941, the Thai Navy fought them for nearly five hours, until they were instructed by their government to stop.

Capitulate? Never.

 

I didn't know that!  Thank you, @bluesofa for that little history lesson.

this is in response for those petition signing tm 30 anarchists, who knows what they're capable of.. 

36 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Absolutely. They are to keep the population in check, nothing else.

 

I don't want to start any political discussion here, but is there some new threat?  Or just the usual?

This country disgusts me more and more every day.

Recently visited a Thai friend critically ill at a government hospital.

APPALLING was the first word that came to mind when I walked into this disgrace they call hospital.

 

I thought I had travelled back in time to WWII !

And these incompetent corrupt losers in Bangkok have nothing better to do than waste our taxes on this garbage from the US only to use it again against their own people when the time comes.

 

Time for FFP to clean up this mess of a country for once and for all.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

7 minutes ago, RLAretired said:

16 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

The Thai Navy did. When the Japanese invaded Thailand on 8 December 1941, the Thai Navy fought them for nearly five hours, until they were instructed by their government to stop.

Capitulate? Never.

 

I didn't know that!  Thank you, @bluesofa for that little history lesson.

Japanese invasion of Thailand:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_invasion_of_Thailand

That's why the Bridge On The River Kwai  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bridge_on_the_River_Kwai

is such a well know film. How else could the Japanese have run a prisoner of war camp in Kanchanaburi, unless they invaded Thailand?

 

 

Edited August 28, 20196 yr by bluesofa
misprit

13 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

That's why the Bridge On The River Kwai 

Indeed and Alec Guinness was right p*ssed off when Jack Hawkins blew it up at the end .. 

Anyway what's with buying U S kit now .. Only a couple mths ago they were gushing about those Chinese Lego jobs .. Now all of a sudden it's American hardware .. Beijing not happee .? 

 

 

With the Chinese navy moving into Cambodia, you can bet Chinese land forces will be moving in soon too. There were lots of clashes at the Thai/Cambo border and soon those clashes will resume, with the help of Chinese military.  Thai army lost lots of men, almost every night, in those clashes. Those strykers will help prevent such losses.

 

The stryker turrets can be equipped with a wide variety equipment, not just remote machine guns.

 

China is a real and genuine threat to Thailand and democracy. China is snuffing out any hint of democracy, as we see in Hong Kong. China plans to slowly erode all democracy in Southeast Asia.

 

Gulf of Thailand has deep water, suitable for nuclear submarines. Chinese have developed about 5-10 nuclear submarines. These subs will come to the Cambo waters.

 

Thailand doesn't want to be taking orders from Beijing.

 

 

1 hour ago, HeyHeyHey said:

time to shoot some citizens again, they haven't done it for quite a while

 

it's not like Thai army ever fought against someone else

 

Too soon.  Said citizens haven't started blowing things up, holding cities hostage or burning them down yet.

2 hours ago, PatOngo said:

The base there is tasked with providing security for Suwannabumi Airport and Laem Chabang port I read recently. The rest of the APC's are to quell dissent in Bangkok if needed. There are no enemies elsewhere.

When was the last time the Thai army kìlled any non Thais?

14 minutes ago, rabas said:

g

Too soon.  Said citizens haven't started blowing things up, holding cities hostage or burning them down yet.

Or hijacking airports, killing nuns a d foreign journalists.

34 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

When was the last time the Thai army kìlled any non Thais?

2008-2011 during the border clashes

1 hour ago, Banana7 said:

With the Chinese navy moving into Cambodia, you can bet Chinese land forces will be moving in soon too. There were lots of clashes at the Thai/Cambo border and soon those clashes will resume, with the help of Chinese military.  Thai army lost lots of men, almost every night, in those clashes. Those strykers will help prevent such losses.

 

The stryker turrets can be equipped with a wide variety equipment, not just remote machine guns.

 

China is a real and genuine threat to Thailand and democracy. China is snuffing out any hint of democracy, as we see in Hong Kong. China plans to slowly erode all democracy in Southeast Asia.

 

Gulf of Thailand has deep water, suitable for nuclear submarines. Chinese have developed about 5-10 nuclear submarines. These subs will come to the Cambo waters.

 

Thailand doesn't want to be taking orders from Beijing.

 

 

 

How do you know they already aren't?

 

  

6 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

A defence ministry source told Reuters that Thailand paid for 47 vehicles and the U.S. would supply 23 free in this year's purchase, while 50 more will be bought next year. The U.S. will also help the Thai army in the maintenance of the vehicles.

Something about this doesn't pass the smell test.  Did they find a discount coupon on the internet, "buy 2 get 1 free"?

 

 

Edited August 28, 20196 yr by bendejo

6 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Indeed and Alec Guinness was right p*ssed off when Jack Hawkins blew it up at the end .. 

Anyway what's with buying U S kit now .. Only a couple mths ago they were gushing about those Chinese Lego jobs .. Now all of a sudden it's American hardware .. Beijing not happee .? 

 

 

More toys for the boys they'll never play with.  This military government just loves spending the country's money on themselves 

7 hours ago, Banana7 said:

With the Chinese navy moving into Cambodia, you can bet Chinese land forces will be moving in soon too. There were lots of clashes at the Thai/Cambo border and soon those clashes will resume, with the help of Chinese military.  Thai army lost lots of men, almost every night, in those clashes. Those strykers will help prevent such losses.

 

The stryker turrets can be equipped with a wide variety equipment, not just remote machine guns.

 

China is a real and genuine threat to Thailand and democracy. China is snuffing out any hint of democracy, as we see in Hong Kong. China plans to slowly erode all democracy in Southeast Asia.

 

Gulf of Thailand has deep water, suitable for nuclear submarines. Chinese have developed about 5-10 nuclear submarines. These subs will come to the Cambo waters.

 

Thailand doesn't want to be taking orders from Beijing.

 

 

 Threat to Thai democracy?  What Thai democracy is that? 555, What have you been sipping on? 

 

I think I toured the place these were manufactured in a couple of times. It was in the then GM, London, Ontario, Canada complex next to the EMD Locomotive plant. The Americans may have originally purchased them but they're Canadian made.

Edited August 28, 20196 yr by pegman

Crowd control.....no doubt trouble is expected.....they shouldn't break down like the Ukrainian units they purchased at great cost!

1 hour ago, pegman said:

 Threat to Thai democracy?  What Thai democracy is that? 555, What have you been sipping on? 

 

I think I toured the place these were manufactured in a couple of times. It was in the then GM, London, Ontario, Canada complex next to the EMD Locomotive plant. The Americans may have originally purchased them but they're Canadian made.

Yeah, but didn't Obama buy bailout,General Motors with American taxpayer money?

Edited August 29, 20196 yr by Longcut

11 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Army chief General Apirat Kongsompong told reporters that Thailand would receive 70 U.S. made armoured infantry carrier vehicles by the end of the year and 50 more next year,

Every potential military coup leader needs the best and the latest turkey shoot civil unrest weaponry. 

When was the last time the Thai army kìlled any non Thais?

 

Apart from the little skirmish with Cambodia - when they got their ass kicked by the Laotians in Baan Rom Klao I think in 1987/88.

When they told the Thai people they where defending the country but in fact it was about logging concessions destroying forests and making lots of money for some.

And even there they killed their own when they dropped bombs at the wrong place.

 

 

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9 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Indeed and Alec Guinness was right p*ssed off when Jack Hawkins blew it up at the end .. 

Anyway what's with buying U S kit now .. Only a couple mths ago they were gushing about those Chinese Lego jobs .. Now all of a sudden it's American hardware .. Beijing not happee .? 

 

 

Chinese Lego tank:

10 hours ago, bluesofa said:

The Thai Navy did. When the Japanese invaded Thailand on 8 December 1941, the Thai Navy fought them for nearly five hours, until they were instructed by their government to stop.

Capitulate? Never.

5 hours of negotiation? Wow, must have been many casualties on both sides.