Thai Air Force Eyes Buying New Airbus

[snoop1130]

PHOTO: RTAF News

 

The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) is in talks with the United States to purchase a new airbus to replace the old one, according to the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Alongkorn Vannarot.

 

He said the new airbus procurement will take place in the 2024 fiscal year to replace the Airbus 340, which has been in service for 18 years. The airbus has previously been used for humanitarian missions in Turkey and will be retired in 2026.

 

“The replacement requires a substantial budget,” the commander-in-chief admitted,” However, it is necessary.”

 

Full Story: https://thepattayanews.com/2023/03/15/thai-air-force-eyes-buying-new-airbus/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2023-03-15

 

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[Yorkshire Tea]

Why have talks with US?

[zzaa09]

Couldn't this public expenditure be more productive and practical towards the benefit of the commons? 

[tomazbodner]

2 hours ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Why have talks with US?

Exactly. Why talk to US about a plane made in France (and bits and pieces of it all over Europe)... or is this about technology export controls when selling to a military? If latter, why not just get TG buy one, and have military loan it?

[soi3eddie]

57 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

Exactly. Why talk to US about a plane made in France (and bits and pieces of it all over Europe)... or is this about technology export controls when selling to a military? If latter, why not just get TG buy one, and have military loan it?

Why even do that, just get down to Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang and select another pristine model before it rots into the ground? Why not a nice big Boeing B747 or an Airbus A380? Very nice planes and plenty of space for generals and cronies! Even better for humanitarian needs too!!!

At this time, does the Thai air force really need a "new" plane? An 18 year old airframe still has at least 12 years left of service at least.

 

[tomazbodner]

That would require some common sense, wouldn't it?

[uktony]

I thought Airbus was European, not American ? Why in talks with America ?

[radjag]

Several A340's were very foolishly bought by Thailand years ago to serve very long haul routes (e.g. BKK-JFK direct), but they are one of the most fuel inefficient planes in the market. Most airlines (including TG) stopped using them for commercial flights years ago. Most of them are sitting in arid desert storage yards waiting to be scrapped. 

 

As to why they are now talking to the USA - most likely to do with the aircraft leasing company that the General's favour (ask no questions.......) since they are unlikely to want to deal directly with the manufacturer.

[Millcx]

This was probably first thing the new transport minister did before he bought his leather seat for his office 5555

[Searat7]

THAI originally had 10 A 340’s including the one currently used by the Air Force. I believe there are still 2 or 3 of these which remain unsold and presumably these have low operating hours for their age as they have been stored for years. Why not use one of those if the current plane really needs to be replaced ?

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Why have talks with US?

I don't get that either, they should be talking to Airbus in Toulouse France?

Unless they're buying a second-hand aircraft from someone?

[Bday Prang]

12 hours ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Why have talks with US?

             Probably not that easy , might be a bit more involved ,  approaching the company direct and asking for a fraudulent  receipt for 5 times what they will actually be spending might be awkward.   it is probably necessary to employ a few middlemen and spread the paper trail far and wide to hide where the money actually ends up     

            I think there was an incident a few years ago  where somebody  at Thai Airways  nearly got caught doing something similar with Rolls-Royce engines a few years ago.They must have learnt from their mistakes, and have modified their procedures

            I wouldn't worry too much about  their methods,   they are experts at this, they do it for a living and have been at it for generations

[Olav Seglem]

Stupid.

There are lots of planes for rent.

If they should ever need one.

But guess top brass dont like traveling buiness class together with "commoners" :-)

 

 

 

[mikebell]

This plane is needed desperately now Thai Air have scrapped free tickets for VIPs and their gardeners.

[Bangkok Barry]

13 hours ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Why have talks with US?

Yes, bizarre isn't it. Either it's very poor reporting (again) and the article doesn't say and no-one asked why they are talking to the US about buying a European aircraft, or the air force have no idea where the airbus is built. If anywhere is outside of Thai borders they don't have a clue.

[Bangkok Barry]

59 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

             Probably not that easy , might be a bit more involved ,  approaching the company direct and asking for a fraudulent  receipt for 5 times what they will actually be spending might be awkward. 

You, like the Thai air force, clearly don't know that the airbus is built in a number of European countries and has nothing at all to do with the US.

[malibukid]

10 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Why even do that, just get down to Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang and select another pristine model before it rots into the ground? Why not a nice big Boeing B747 or an Airbus A380? Very nice planes and plenty of space for generals and cronies! Even better for humanitarian needs too!!!

At this time, does the Thai air force really need a "new" plane? An 18 year old airframe still has at least 12 years left of service at least.

 

humanitarian,  mean con concubines.

[steven100]

I can only presume they are talking to a US leasing broker who they have dealt with or TG deals with in the past.

Why not just slip over to Swampy and pick one off the TG rack that isn't being used. 

[HuskerDo2]

14 hours ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Why have talks with US?

Because that's who they are buying it from. It's old to the US but NEW to the Royal Thai Airforce thus they refer to it as new. Why they need it is another story. They don't.

 

They said... "The airbus has previously been used for humanitarian missions in Turkey and will be retired in 2026.". How many humanitarian missions do they do each year? A blatant waste of money but someone will get a nice brown envelope for making it happen.

[DUNROAMIN]

Thai airways have plenty for sale at bargain prices. 

[Tom H]

I buy at the butcher an orange.

[Bday Prang]

40 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

You, like the Thai air force, clearly don't know that the airbus is built in a number of European countries and has nothing at all to do with the US.

               Around 20 years ago I was involved in the construction of a large factory at a place called Broughton near Chester in the UK. The factory was built for the manufacture of the airbus wings ,  I am well aware of how Airbus construct their aircraft   

              If you had bothered to read my post properly you would have better understood my assertion, which was,..     That if somebody wanted to indulge in a little corruption and perhaps line their own pockets by maybe purchasing a multi trillion baht aircraft at a possibly greatly inflated  price using government money, It might not be as easy as just contacting airbus direct , having a quiet word , asking them to say nothing,  and handing over a brown envelope, It might be necessary to involve several third parties to facilitate the process. and just maybe one of these third parties is based in America.

                 The fact that the aircraft are built in several different countries has absolutely nothing to do with my post,  I don't understand why you mentioned it.  Were you  expecting the Thais to fly around europe speaking to every manufacturer of all the various components asking them to load the prices ?  

[PETERTHEEATER]

Perhaps they want a replacement for their Boeing 737 which  the  reporter regards as an air bus. ????

[realfunster]

25 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

It might be necessary to involve several third parties to facilitate the process. and just maybe one of these third parties is based in America.

Barking up the wrong tree there in suggesting that a US party is going to get involved in a corrupt deal or would be a preferred option for such a transaction.

US law enforcement has very long arms and many powers under FCPA...

 

Our friends to the north-east would be the first call if any shadiness was needed...why do you think so many government procurement deals go via this route ? Is it the exceptional quality of goods they offer ?

[Bday Prang]

4 minutes ago, realfunster said:

Barking up the wrong tree there in suggesting that a US party is going to get involved in a corrupt deal or would be a preferred option for such a transaction.

US law enforcement has very long arms and many powers under FCPA...

 

Our friends to the north-east would be the first call if any shadiness was needed...why do you think so many government procurement deals go via this route ? Is it the exceptional quality of goods they offer ?

It was only a theory, I have no idea how they actually do this stuff, But I am certain they will be doing it. They literally cannot help themselves

[Yellowtail]

Airbus has (or at least had) a final assembly plant in the US. 

 

As to why they would buy from the US likely has to do with trade deficits. 

[herfiehandbag]

1 hour ago, HuskerDo2 said:

Because that's who they are buying it from. It's old to the US but NEW to the Royal Thai Airforce thus they refer to it as new. Why they need it is another story. They don't.

 

They said... "The airbus has previously been used for humanitarian missions in Turkey and will be retired in 2026.". How many humanitarian missions do they do each year? A blatant waste of money but someone will get a nice brown envelope for making it happen.

The problem with using such aircraft for "humanitarian missions" is that the effort in stripping out and then refitting the VIP interior kit is time consuming and expensive.

[Srikcir]

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

I don't get that either, they should be talking to Airbus in Toulouse France?

Unless they're buying a second-hand aircraft from someone?

Maybe Thai military "intelligence" thinks USA is in Europe?

[AlQaholic]

16 hours ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Why have talks with US?

Very confusing article indeed. The original article talks about replacing an existing Airbus A340 and upgrading a Saab 340, but the picture shows something entirely different (looks like a Tupulev). They talk about airbus rather as a concept than the Airbus brand?? The Saab aircraft is older, if anything needs replacement it would be that one?

[Ralf001]

15 minutes ago, AlQaholic said:

 but the picture shows something entirely different (looks like a Tupulev).

looks like an A340-500 to me.