Thai PM defends submarine purchase and explains causes of huge public debt

[pixelaoffy]

4 hours ago, thesetat2013 said:

Defending?

Yes. Military budget comes under 'defense '   it was rhetorical question

[Morch]

10 hours ago, scammed said:

the average depth in baltic is 50 meter as well,

and sweden has  submarine production

 

Sweden got Russian subs (and other vessels) to contend with. What's the actual threat with regard to Thailand?

 

Also, Sweden makes excellent, small, very quiet subs. More fit for conditions and needs. Not quite what Thailand is buying.

 

As for depth, I got this explanation once - there's the average depth, and then there's the average operational depth. Meaning that in some seas/locations the sub cannot be safely operated near the sea bed as it would seem. Got to do with the the composition of the sea bed material, which can effect several systems and components. Apparently this holds for the Gulf of Thailand as well.

[John Drake]

Which country's ships do they plan on torpedoing with those submarines?

[curlylekan]

How does anyone still like him/think he's a good leader for the people. Also his dam project with the Mekong. I'd be very upset if I were Thai.

[brianthainess]

16 hours ago, Pengo2001 said:

The gulf of Thailand has an average depth of not more that 50 meters. Can a bigger sub even hide and operate in such a shallow envrionment?

I have in mind a future news headline " Submarine carnage, as one passes over another one"   ;captain blames that anchor didn't work. 

[CraigInBangkok]

12 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

I have in mind a future news headline " Submarine carnage, as one passes over another one"   ;captain blames that anchor didn't work. 

and it was raining

[PETERTHEEATER]

17 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

"... 24 trillion baht in maritime interests that Thailand is expected to gain..."

 

Gain what? 

Picky, picky!

[Nsp64]

15 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

I am not supporter of submarine or military purchase, but I think many foreign critics in this  thread are unfair and do not understand or more likely just want to take kick at Thailand government. Thailand has good reason for the purchases.

 

 

To answer the above, Cambodia has had border fight with Thailand in the past. The border with Myanmar is very dangerous with much of the yaba being brought in from Myanmar. The  drug cartels have their own armies. In the south we have Islamic insurrection and fighters come  across from Malaysia. Thailand needs proper surveillance equipment like night vision equipment. It also needs the equipment that will allow it to  patrol borders. The air fleet of Thailand is inadequate with a lack of modern patrol  aircraft or drones. There is  no advanced HQ for drone border patrol and marine  safety like we see in Australia or South America countries.

Thailand  military is not  equipped for the new types of  threats to public safety.

 

 

 

Thailand has one of the largest commercial fishing fleets in the world and Thai vessels operate all over the world. Thai vessels were identified as a major cause of illegal and over fishing in places like Indian ocean and off of Somalia. Because Somalia locals lost fishing  income they went to piracy which was more profitable.

EU had previously yellow listed Thailand which cost country seafood exports big. In easy language, the EU and Australia said to Thailand, stop your illegal activity or we will stop you. It was a requirement to lift the sanctions that Thailand surveil its foreign fishing activity.  Also, Thailand is very much dependent on  worldwide sea lanes for import  and export. It relies on cheap oil to come from Gulf countries and Iran.  The submarines will allow Thailand to police its international fishing fleet and to protect its international shipping activity.

 

Very easy to attack Thailand and to say, bad, bad, bad, but I ask the  negativity people how they propose Thailand police its fishing fleet to make sure  boats comply and how it expects Thailand to protect its shipping activity? 

With a boat,  same as every nation does. 

Submarines are for covert intelligence gathering and attack. Surface vessels are better for commercial observation.  Or for that matter, aircraft.

[PETERTHEEATER]

1 hour ago, John Drake said:

Which country's ships do they plan on torpedoing with those submarines?

Torpedoes? No mention of these in the contract. We have underwater loud-hailers to hurl insults......

[bloodyholly]

2 hours ago, John Drake said:

Which country's ships do they plan on torpedoing with those submarines?

“Torrr pedos...” Crikey we forgot about those. Quickly, place an order for a billion bahts worth ...krap.

 

 

[peterpop]

The point is that he has to keep the Navy onside.

 

[zaZa9]

1 hour ago, peterpop said:

The point is that he has to keep the Navy onside.

 

 

Sounds like hes putting them down to me ... 555

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts have been removed. 

[PatOngo]

5 hours ago, Morch said:

What's the actual threat with regard to Thailand?

Maybe one day the poor majority will rise and attack the rich......................haha, no, just joking, the army would shoot them and the submarines would be on standby miles away! 

[tifino]

as a leader gets older; a submarine becomes more relatable... 

 

 - as submarines have bigger bladders

and so much better for holding your defences against incontinencal ballistic missiles dropping...  

 

 

[PatOngo]

6 hours ago, scammed said:

thai bashing, you couldnt care less for thai national defense,

just opportunistic spam of negative comments

Pretty easy, is'nt it!   As for national defense, that's THEIR problem, not any farang!

 

 

[PatOngo]

10 hours ago, thesetat2013 said:

Defending?

The big kahuna and the rich!

[Orton Rd]

You cannot defend the indefensible, you can try though ????

[spiekerjozef]

Fisher-price submarines are a lot cheaper and just as useless.

[PatOngo]

1 minute ago, spiekerjozef said:

Fisher-price submarines are a lot cheaper and just as useless.

Get real! Less commission to pocket on cheaper submarines!

[NoshowJones]

21 hours ago, colinneil said:

Of course he has defended the purchase of useless subs, the kickbacks must be very BIG.

The moon rocket kickbacks will be even bigger.

[Stocky]

20 hours ago, Pengo2001 said:

The gulf of Thailand has an average depth of not more that 50 meters. Can a bigger sub even hide and operate in such a shallow envrionment?

I'm sure the Chinese will have hidden tracking devices on them anyway, so the regions main competitor for 'maritime interests' will always know where they are.

[Peterphuket]

As long as they don't have the nucleaire bomb, they always lose from China, even with 100 submarines.

But this PM is like a child crying when he doesn't get his way.

[talahtnut]

A canny geopolitical move by China to keep undesirables out of its back yard,

and allowing the PM to strut on the world stage with some degree of clout.

China getting all its ducks in a row.

[AlexJohanson]

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is a world leading military strategist. Deemed even smarter and greater than Carl von Clausewitz. The world need to listen to Khun Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as he is one of the very few men that are leading the world out of darkness and into the light.  

[tifino]

42 minutes ago, Stocky said:

I'm sure the Chinese will have hidden tracking devices on them anyway, so the regions main competitor for 'maritime interests' will always know where they are.

yep... at the beginning of each sortie

- the Captain is heard yelling; 

 "Anchors ahuewai me hearties"

[jvs]

Looking at the map of Thailand it would be virtually impossible to move from the Gulf to the Andaman sea?

Maybe not so during peace but when at war certain canals would be blocked.

So you need two,one for each side.

Very safe,they can never run into each other.

You see with a little explanation you can fool many people.

[foreverlomsak]

23 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has defended the Royal Thai Navy’s 22 billion baht procurement of three Yuan-class submarines from China as being worth the taxpayers’ money, compared to the 24 trillion baht in maritime interests that Thailand is expected to gain.

Spend 22 billion and get 24 trillion back, good economics spend 1 and get a million back, wish I could do it, but where is the 24 trillion coming from "maritime interests" does it mean that China is giving Thailand some Islands that are not Thai owned, or some cruise ships maybe there is glut of them at the moment or ???

[kickstart]

On top of that, he explained that his government has to set aside 20 billion baht to account for losses caused by the failed Uah Arthorn housing project, also initiated by the Pheu Thai party.

Had to look this one up ,this was aTucksin idea providing cheap housing for the masses , yes there was some corruption ,but they were also some susses they is a Moo Bann ,village, near me ,ok only 60% completed, but people are living there  ,buying they own home .so I have been told 500 baht month for 25 years  .

If this present government had completed the project they would not be this debt ,money would be coming in. But as it was a Tuksin idea it was knocked in on the head ,as soon as this lot took over .

[HappyinNE]

I spent several years in the US Navy in an Squadron that one of our main responsibilities was Anti-Submarine Warfare.  The systems we used are now outdated but I would love to have been deployed to take out these Subs.  With their capabilities and where they will operate I would expect to be able to take out one a day.  On a lucky day I would get two.

 

What a waste of money!  And useless here!