Purchase of submarines from China deferred to next year

[webfact]

Purchase of submarines from China deferred to next year

By The Nation

 

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has decided to postpone a Bt22.5-billion deal to buy submarines from China to next year due to public concerns about the economy amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Government Spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said on Monday (August 31) that purchase of the second and third submarines, that were expected to be acquired soon, would be deferred.

 

Moreover, the committee on the national budget for fiscal year 2021 had requested consideration of the process by the Royal Thai Navy and to discuss the matter with China.

 

Navy chief of staff Admiral Sittiporn Maskasem, who joined the emergency situation committee’s meeting, did not reveal any information to the media and went into the Office of the National Security Council.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30393773

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-08-31

 

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[RotBenz8888]

Chinese, was it? 

[Justgrazing]

15 minutes ago, webfact said:

decided to postpone a Bt22.5-billion deal to buy submarines from China to next year due to public concerns about the economy

bound to resurface this was 

 

16 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

Navy chief of staff Admiral Sittiporn Maskasem, who joined the emergency situation committee’s meeting, did not reveal any information to the media

Sounds like he dived out of that one .. 

[Mavideol]

did somebody just came to some sense, that's a first... now let's see if China doesn't ask for (lack of sale/delivery) compensation

[PatOngo]

Noooooo! ???? However will they defend the motherland now???

[2 is 1]

If you want do something under water there is cheaper option!

 

[racket]

The Chinese should just give a sub for free, considering the economic damage the Chinese virus has inflicted. 

[Krungbin]

"next year" is only but in three months... 

[RichardColeman]

I propose that if the Generals cannot show that Thailand was not in severe danger - and who from - in the years delay, they have to cancel their toys as they simply are in no need of them

[animatic]

Dawn broke over Marblehead.

[Dario]

Thailand doesn't need any submarines. The purchase would only satisfy the big boys' wishes. The money should be used to address the needs of the Thai people.

[TheFishman1]

I guess someone big has to wait for the brown envelope to next year TIT

[malt25]

Here's a thought. We all know the only reason for proposed sub purchase is to facilitate commissions or under the table payments. Why not allocate a few, several, million baht for said commissions ? Say .5 Billion. Don't order- buy any subs. There's a saving of 22 Billion. Pay the .5 Billion to appropriate generals or admirals or whoever. They should be happy with that. Now you have 22 Billion to spend on the people & needed infrastructure.

[CLW]

Clever tactics, they are just waiting for the media hype to slow down and forget.

Then proceed as planned.

[Dustdevil]

I imagine the operating manuals are either in Chinese or bad English, with three assembly diagrams that don't make any sense.

[vermin on arrival]

C'mon enough of this corrupt bs...defer them to never and take care of your people whose lives have been destroyed by the border closures, etc. And hey, if you really want to reopen tourism and help all the people whose lives have been destroyed, use that money to pay for the covid 19 tests and subsequent treatment of any tourists who come to the country and catch the virus as Greece is doing.

[bluesofa]

While we're waiting for these submarines, I really do hope we aren't invaded again like last time in 1941 by the Japanese.

That time the prime minister couldn't be found for hours.

[ginjag]

2 minutes ago, ginjag said:

If Thailand wants to purchase something useful then buy torpedo mega fast patrol, missile --machine guns.  defense intercept.

[baansgr]

51 minutes ago, Dario said:

Thailand doesn't need any submarines. The purchase would only satisfy the big boys' wishes. The money should be used to address the needs of the Thai people.

Neither does the UK and many other Western countries...should they all cancel their military budget...not sure why everyone thinks Toyland is so different....How about UK stopping 15 Billion of foreign aid...makes sense or not?

[LogicThai]

Budget considerations and political affordability aside, Thailand wanting to acquire submarines is not as preposterous as it seems. Other regional powers do operate them, and have more on order (Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam…). This makes sense since submarines are relatively cost-effective weapon systems for power projection and sealane protection/interdiction.

 

However, Thailand differs from neighbouring countries because much of its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) happens to be in the Gulf of Thailand, where water is very shallow (about 60 meters), and not quite suitable for sustained submarine operations. Malaysia operates its subs in the South China Sea from a naval base in deep waters, as does Vietnam. Thailand could not do the same, unless if in agreement with those navies.

 

The amusing twist in that plot is that the main threat those subs are designed to counter obviously is from China. Singapore buys its subs in Sweden, Malaysia in France and Vietnam in Russia, and all are excellent state-of-the-art naval assets. But Thailand wants to buy subs from China. Not much is known about the exact specs of the subs the Thai navy wants to buy, and it could be that those subs are not quite as top-notch as those.

 

If Thailand really wanted to procure its first submarines, there would be more cost-effective ways to do so I the short term. The Singaporean navy first acquired second-hand Swedish subs, in order to build expertise in operating a submarine force, before ordering new builds. Malaysia acquired a second hand retired French sub as a testbed and training vessel, while waiting for the delivery of its state-of-the-art Scorpene-class subs. Vietnam did the same with some elderly ex-soviet subs.

 

But obviously, the decision of acquiring such major defence assets is not a purely military one. There are broader geopolitical considerations at play, as well as domestic issues, that did not plague the Singaporean, Malaysian or Vietnamese governments.

[AhFarangJa]

1 hour ago, Dustdevil said:

I imagine the operating manuals are either in Chinese or bad English, with three assembly diagrams that don't make any sense.

Do not forget all the odd size screws and washers you will have left over.............

[Swedenlars]

The Chinese should give Thailand a big fleet of subs. So they could bring in the Chinese tourists under water.

[fraggleRock]

I very much doubt Thailand could fight its way out of a paper bag, they would drop weapons quicker than any girl from Pattaya drops her knickers!  Who would invaid Thailand? It offers nothing, zero, zip... sweet <deleted>...  These 2 subs are a waste of money and will never see service outside the gulf of Thailand and surface level... The weakest attempt to flex ego’s in the region only but actually every connecting nation is laughing at Thailand... gee Singapore, as small as it is would flatten Thailand before breakfast is served at the Fullerton... get real ...

[bluesofa]

23 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

1 hour ago, Dustdevil said:

I imagine the operating manuals are either in Chinese or bad English, with three assembly diagrams that don't make any sense.

Do not forget all the odd size screws and washers you will have left over.............

I just hadn't imagined it as an Ikea self-assembly type product.

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, Mavideol said:

did somebody just came to some sense, that's a first... now let's see if China doesn't ask for (lack of sale/delivery) compensation

Maybe remind China where this worldwide problem which has also affected Thailands economy and purchasing power emanated from!

[Srikcir]

The Navy said these subs were necessary to protect Thailand's natural resources, presumably under the sea or gulf?

So what kinds of resources are there at risk - fish, sand, coral, sealife - that would require surreptitious or covert underwater theft?

Thailand has no claim to atolls or islands such as at controversy in the China South Sea, albeit it sympathizes with China's claims to sovergneity to such.

[Mike k]

4 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Noooooo! ???? However will they defend the motherland now???

The gulf of Thailand is only 58 meters deep alot of good a submarine will be any one wanting to attack this country could take those out easily

[Stevemercer]

Thailand will need to eventually acquire the other two submarines if it intends to build an operational capability. One sub might do for training, but a minimum of 3 is needed to keep one on operational patrol. The other two will be in dock for maintenance, repairs, upgrades etc.

 

I always assumed a key reason to acquire subs is so Thailand can develop a credible anti-submarine warfare capability. If there is a threat from other submarines, then Thailand needs to be able to defend its marine assets against that threat. To develop anti-sub warfare Thailand needs its own subs to practice with.

[Nanaplaza666]

Like buying them next year makes any difference to all that money being spend on something they don't even need , this money could be used for sooooooo many different ,better reasons in this day of age . But thinking about anything other then lining their own pockets is a very hard thing here in this and many other countries . Every day more and more people are depending on goodwill as this pandemic is still going on and businesess are bankrupt or on the ridge of bankrupcy and in need of support , but the only thing these people are supporting is themselfs . Makes my blood boil .

[Skeptic7]

Clowns. ????