2 hours ago, Kiwiken said:

This is so they can have open days for the Public (but not foreigners) to show off their new super weapon that like their Aircraft carrier is a giant white elephant.

This is the land of the white elephant though, is it not?

17 minutes ago, Humpy said:

What will be in the fertilizer ? !!

Methamphetamine precursors.

If the China deal fails, maybe they can try to return it to 7-11.

It really doesn't make much difference as the RTN would turn the sub into a piece of crap in short order.

1 hour ago, Gsxrnz said:

This is Thailand. I can see the Sub eventually being powered by a string of Honda PCX150 motors. 

How about a big strong elastic band?!

3 hours ago, harleyclarkey said:

You couldn't make it up. 

You go put and buy an expensive sub ( which is of no use to you whatsoever) and then ..... you go looking for an engine!! 

Hilarious, except the poor Thais have to pay for this monumental cluster f##k to satisfy some stupid old guys egos .....and of course pockets. 

Thats nothing, next year they are putting out tenders for the procurement of snow ploughs (with engines).

Well, contrary to just about all the above comments (well-justified though they may be), I think this is a good sign of the new Defence Minister actually having a brain. He may not have any background in military matters but he recognizes an expensive disaster when he sees one. So he's wriggling out of the current deal and softening up the admirals for abandoning the sub altogether.

 

Good for him. Takes guts + some squirming.

17 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

Thats nothing, next year they are putting out tenders for the procurement of snow ploughs (with engines).

Already purchased...

 

 

That proposed chinese diesel has never been fitted in a submarine.

 

RTN at least recognizes that a sub's engine needs to be far more sophisticated and elaborate than a stationary diesel engine. A sub's engine needs to operate properly when the sub goes into a deep dive or climb, tilts 45 degrees, or does a combination of turns on multiple axis. Also noise, vibration, combustion and lubricant exhaust, temperature, cooling, and many other factors need to be considered. It would be very difficult to test that engine thoroughly on land for all operational conditions required for a sub.

 

I hope the RTN doesn't become test subjects of the chinese. 

 

Either way its just Chinese S * * T

Hasn't Thailand gotten the memo about sanctions against China?

 

Clueless. 

 

 

25 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

Well, contrary to just about all the above comments (well-justified though they may be), I think this is a good sign of the new Defence Minister actually having a brain. He may not have any background in military matters but he recognizes an expensive disaster when he sees one. So he's wriggling out of the current deal and softening up the admirals for abandoning the sub altogether.

 

Good for him. Takes guts + some squirming.

To be fair, he is between a rock and a hard place. He is absolutely not responsible for the fiasco of ordering submarines without engines. If he cancels them he knows full well that the Chinese will not refund any money. The Admirals are holding out for the German engines ( imagine how much the Chinese will pay for access and performance data!) The Germans will not supply their state of the art technology to a Chinese shipyard - even with a deal whereby they supervised the installation and work up trials, they know full well that the boat will be back in the shipyard within 6 months for " minor fault rectifications ( which will probably entail removing the engine and replacing it with a Chinese copy)!

 

If he manages to get a few thousand tons of fertilizer at least Thailand will end up with something useful!

Does Thailand need to import fertilizer.

Always seems more than ample amount of BS to go around.

 

 

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The Defence Minister of Thailand revealed that the government is considering various alternatives, including a barter trade arrangement or the purchase of fertilisers from China

Good idea, exchange sh!t for sh!t

Headline of the month.

Think fertilizer and a fan would be more appropriate !

3 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

So much jealousy after fleeing from you homeland to seek refuge in a foreign land possibly using a "wify visa" .

So much projection? To go off topic just to criticise someone based on supposition 

So, the conclusion is, that Chinese submarines are now classified at the same level as fertilizer.

4 hours ago, 2baht said:

Go for the fertilizer, it does'nt need an engine! ????

They are so full of fertiliser they don't have room for any more!????

 

1 hour ago, herfiehandbag said:

To be fair, he is between a rock and a hard place.

Meh.

 

He could sack-up and cancel the order.

 

But he/they won't and this fiasco will remain unresolved for decades.

 

 

21 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

So, the conclusion is, that Chinese submarines are now classified at the same level as fertilizer.

No, only the engine-free variety.

2 hours ago, Humpy said:

What will be in the fertilizer ? !!

The usual B S

Look at the exit clause of this avalanche of this - most likely masterpiece of Thai-Chinese bureaucratic contract work. 

Why should you buy substandard fertilizer or surface ships if you have so many other pending issues in your country. You are heading straight into a recession anyhow as tourism is not picking up at the speed the weed-smokers at the Tourism Authority of Thailand would wish to see. 

Use this HUGE amount of money for putting basic utility structures into Northeastern and Northern provinces (that would secure a LOT of votes next time round) or education (that would secure your pension payments, if in place by then, as the tax payers with a better education get better jobs which means better tax income on the entire tax front). 

3 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

Look at the exit clause of this avalanche of this - most likely masterpiece of Thai-Chinese bureaucratic contract work. 

Why should you buy substandard fertilizer or surface ships if you have so many other pending issues in your country. You are heading straight into a recession anyhow as tourism is not picking up at the speed the weed-smokers at the Tourism Authority of Thailand would wish to see. 

Use this HUGE amount of money for putting basic utility structures into Northeastern and Northern provinces (that would secure a LOT of votes next time round) or education (that would secure your pension payments, if in place by then, as the tax payers with a better education get better jobs which means better tax income on the entire tax front). 

Yes yes, just give them time. Surely the point of what the NEW Minister suggested was to soften up the admirals (and the military more generally) for the upcoming bad news ...

Gently gently catchee monkee! Or would you prefer another coup?

FOR SALE! Submarine. Nearly new. Never used, but needs engine.

Will accept swap for boat, possibly fertiliser or other.

Open to negotiation. But NDA required on final cost.

Only serious offers please.

 

 

6 hours ago, harleyclarkey said:

You couldn't make it up. 

You go put and buy an expensive sub ( which is of no use to you whatsoever) and then ..... you go looking for an engine!! 

Hilarious, except the poor Thais have to pay for this monumental cluster f##k to satisfy some stupid old guys egos .....and of course pockets. 

It was a bait and switch with collusion from those cheated. Both sides knew from the outset that Germany could not sell the engine to China or its satellite state ThAiland. The fall guys were the Thai taxpayers.

I like the idea of the fertilizer. Imagine panic stricken Navy chiefs, former junta bosses and politicians calling up Credit Suisse and UBS to ask them to take delivery into there vaults of the next commission installment in Chinese night soil.

Suthin

" Maybe we could explore using Briggs and Stratton Engines "

 

 

5 hours ago, Kerryd said:

The West doesn't want to sell Thailand their technology now because they know it will be in Chinese hands within days.

True, but currently I think it's more of a matter of economic sanctions against China.

 

This budget would have been better utilized where it is most needed.

For example, improving the condition of public hospitals or assisting the elderly.

 

Retrospectively, one can wonder what the return on investment of the Chakri Naruebet aircraft carrier has been