China offers two decommissioned Song-class submarines to Royal Thai Navy

[jaideedave]

7 hours ago, Hayduke said:

 

Would you....buy a used submarine from this guy?

 

 

 

I qualified in submarines way back in 1972 (RCN) A quick Wiki search tells me that the mean depth of the Gulf is 58 meters (190 ft) The "Song" Class boats are 75 meters in length.So if it was placed end to end from the bottom it would protude about 17 meters (55 ft) above the surface. That is thought provoking. It's a diesel electric sub which means that it will have to surface regularly to re-charge its batteries.I don't think I would feel very safe operating here. The only good news maybe if it ever sank it would be fairly easy to escape to the surface.Free divers have cracked 214 meters. I'm thinking it would be better described as a submersible torpedo boat.  

[vandeventer]

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

you can bet these will be well past their use by date ....

China doesn't give anything away for free ever.   It's obviously more profitable to do a deal with Thailand than cutting them up for scap .

 

I wonder just how much Thailand will be paying for them? Maybe if Thailand spent a little more they could get the nuclear ones from the USA.

[Guderian]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

they did not specify whether the submarines were to be provided free of charge or whether there will a token charge as a gesture of friendship

We give you two submarines, you please provide us with 500 million doses of Pfizer or Moderna. Money is in the submarines' glove compartments.  We cannot be seen to order them ourselves, lose too much face to Western capitalist running dogs.

[thaibook]

"there will a token charge as a gesture of friendship."  How much do I have to pay you for you to be my friend?  Perhaps the misuse of English by peace-lovers goes beyond the political. 

[thaibook]

28 minutes ago, jaideedave said:

I qualified in submarines way back in 1972 (RCN) A quick Wiki search tells me that the mean depth of the Gulf is 58 meters (190 ft) The "Song" Class boats are 75 meters in length.So if it was placed end to end from the bottom it would protude about 17 meters (55 ft) above the surface. That is thought provoking. It's a diesel electric sub which means that it will have to surface regularly to re-charge its batteries.I don't think I would feel very safe operating here. The only good news maybe if it ever sank it would be fairly easy to escape to the surface.Free divers have cracked 214 meters. I'm thinking it would be better described as a submersible torpedo boat.  

would it be easy to escape to the surface, however close, if here are no escape hatches?

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, chalawaan said:

Pipe them aboard Admiral, it's a high tide for a new Ferrari!

They'll be outrageously overpriced, as will the refurb, they'll be launched amid great fanfare, break down during sea trials, get towed home (if they don't sink) and thereafter quietly left to rust and rot, like all the lovely antique aircraft at RTAF 44 Wing in Chiang Mai.

How corrupt will the refurb activity be? 

 

No previous experience of this activity so cannot make comparisons.

 

Military - not accountable for costs/budgets.

 

Beware big time.

[DefaultName]

Great, re-open Submarine-a-GoGo.  ????

[asiasurfer]

Does that mean we will see more Chinese tourists in the upcoming season??  ????

[BayArea]

You have to ask yourself,  why were they decommissioned in the first place?? ????

[soalbundy]

How bad must they be if even the Chinese don't want them

[sammieuk1]

Is that a submarine in your pocket Xi or are you just pleased to see me said 10,000 generals in unison ????   

[Enoon]

53 minutes ago, jaideedave said:

I qualified in submarines way back in 1972 (RCN) A quick Wiki search tells me that the mean depth of the Gulf is 58 meters (190 ft) The "Song" Class boats are 75 meters in length.So if it was placed end to end from the bottom it would protude about 17 meters (55 ft) above the surface. That is thought provoking. It's a diesel electric sub which means that it will have to surface regularly to re-charge its batteries.I don't think I would feel very safe operating here. The only good news maybe if it ever sank it would be fairly easy to escape to the surface.Free divers have cracked 214 meters. I'm thinking it would be better described as a submersible torpedo boat.  

 

Thailands submarines will operate from the Andaman Coast.

 

"It (the purchase of the 3 on order)will help protect our sovereignty, as well as our abundant marine resources, notably in the Andaman Sea."

                             Prawit Wongsuwon,2017.

 

In Oct 2020 Myanamars 1st submarine was seen on exercise.

 

Malaysia has 2, relatively new (1st commission 2005, Malaysias rec'd 2009), submarines.

 

Needless to say Thailands submarines wiil enhance its ability to exert "influence" in the Northern Approaches to the Malacca Strait.

 

Indian Ocean is the next "South China Sea".

 

 

 

 

[Edwin Cameron]

Beware of friends bearing free gifts..!     'Caveat Emptdor'

[trainman34014]

They don't need to be 'Operable' as they will only be tied up beside the Aircraft Carrier for Selfies and showing off the fearless RTN 'Submariners' !

[trainman34014]

Of course; they could end up like Thai Airways Aircraft....carrying Parcels abroad !

[overherebc]

From other sources I'm reading they were offered for training purposes. That could be taken as familiarisation with control systems etc. A lot of that could be done without actually having to go sub-surface or in fact going to sea.

Edited February 7, 2022 by overherebc

[Burma Bill]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

China has offered two used Song-class submarines

Were they painted yellow????

[Bkk Brian]

Amazon sells a Song class sub in model kit form, bargain at just $818. I suggest getting this first and see if they can form a committee to make the actual kit before venturing to fast with this.

https://www.amazon.com/ARKMODEL-China-Submarine-Song-Class-Single/dp/B08JFXZM2Z?th=1

[PETERTHEEATER]

4 hours ago, BayArea said:

You have to ask yourself,  why were they decommissioned in the first place?? ????

Leaking........(onry rittle bit) We make Thai name Song (Number 2) second crass for compensate...

Edited February 7, 2022 by PETERTHEEATER
Sperring collection

[bangon04]

"but they did not specify whether the submarines were to be provided free of charge or whether there will a token charge as a gesture of friendship." 

 

the "gesture of friendship" is that the CCP will supply a wholly Chinese crew for both boats to save the costs of Thailand training its own. And to save the refurbishment costs the subs will continue in the CCP livery and flag, plus maintenance will be done at a CCP base, and all tactical communications will be routed through the CCP military to further save costs.

[Soikhaonoiken]

19 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Can line them up with the Japanese trains. 

What's with buying up all this old junk?

Thailand wants to become the Hub of scrap yards in Asia... 

[Damrongsak]

I'm sure they will dive just fine. Resurfacing could be a problem.

[Damrongsak]

16 hours ago, vandeventer said:

It's like buying a second hand old car that's blowing a lot of black smoke. Or it's like buying vaccines from Chine, there must be a prize in the box or it's not worth it.

Prize?  Like Duk Dik candy?

 

[SheikYabodyline]

A secondhand Chinese submarine crewed by Thais. What could possibly go wrong?

[Stargeezr]

Owning a submarine, is like owning a Lamborghini  to go shopping every day with.

  Expensive to buy, expensive to maintain, expensive to own. That is why many countries do not

own submarines.  I think Thailand needs to realize that owning eve q submarine is not a 

good idea. IMO.

 

[jaideedave]

22 hours ago, thaibook said:

would it be easy to escape to the surface, however close, if here are no escape hatches?

Huh? Then how would one enter egress the boat if there are no hatches?

[herfiehandbag]

22 hours ago, Enoon said:

 

Thailands submarines will operate from the Andaman Coast.

 

"It (the purchase of the 3 on order)will help protect our sovereignty, as well as our abundant marine resources, notably in the Andaman Sea."

                             Prawit Wongsuwon,2017.

 

In Oct 2020 Myanamars 1st submarine was seen on exercise.

 

Malaysia has 2, relatively new (1st commission 2005, Malaysias rec'd 2009), submarines.

 

Needless to say Thailands submarines wiil enhance its ability to exert "influence" in the Northern Approaches to the Malacca Strait.

 

Indian Ocean is the next "South China Sea".

 

 

 

 

Thailand's " Submarine School" and base facilities are at the top of the Gulf of Thailand.

 

If they start trying to "exert influence" in the Northern approaches to the Malacca Strait with a couple of old second hand Chinese submarines they will attract a lot of unwelcome attention.

[thaibook]

On 2/8/2022 at 9:08 AM, jaideedave said:

Huh? Then how would one enter egress the boat if there are no hatches?

there is a "door" but no air lock.  If opened under water the sub is filled.  It is a Chinese concept - to encourage new submariners to obey socialist discipline.

[Lancelot01]

On 2/7/2022 at 12:46 AM, mokwit said:

Of course now you've got your free no strings attached gift of submarines from China you'll be wanting to dig the Kraa Canal with loans from China and Chinese construction companies "winning" the contract. NOTHING from China is ever free.

They appear a little too large to fit in a brown envelope. 

[Virt]

Song class submarines.

 

How nice.

Now the sailors can sing while they sink.