Royal Thai Navy to switch from a Chinese submarine to a frigate : Defence Minister

[cjinchiangrai]

The frigate makes a lot more sense, there are practical missions available. A submarine in the gulf of Thailand is a useless target.

[Mavideol]

didn't know frigates were more expensive then subs.... China is sticking it deep ( I mean no sub 555) into Thailand

[transam]

2 hours ago, DaddyWarbucks said:

What happened, did they get spooked by the recent Chinese submarine disaster that claimed fifty-five lives?

No, somebody just used their loaf...............😉

[Dave1954]

Royal Thai Navy to switch from a Chinese submarine to a frigate

I wonder if frigates come with an engine?

[whitfield]

For 17 billion baht, roughly $485 million, you could buy 50,000 tractors equipped with ploughs.   Enough for 8 tractors in every tambon.  Rent them to the farmers and there would be no need for crop burning.  I know where I would invest the money.

[Morch]

3 minutes ago, Dave1954 said:

Royal Thai Navy to switch from a Chinese submarine to a frigate

I wonder if frigates come with an engine?

Oars by default.

Sails if you order two.

Engine is extra.

German engine no have.

[xylophone]

1 minute ago, whitfield said:

For 17 billion baht, roughly $485 million, you could buy 50,000 tractors equipped with ploughs.   Enough for 8 tractors in every tambon.  Rent them to the farmers and there would be no need for crop burning.  I know where I would invest the money.

Excellent idea and I have thought along similar lines to you...........but being Thailand, good ideas and common sense gain little traction here.

[OneZero]

5 hours ago, Morch said:

Comes with a way higher price tag.

Purchasing a bunch of smaller vessels, and aerial assets at a lower cost would make a better return on investment.

 

 

Agree 100%.  

[sammieuk1]

The way the PM is sucking up this week he will be getting the whole Chinese navy up his stern for free like it or not🤔

[Xonax]

53 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

So this isn't about an actual military need, but just a desire to buy something...anything...?

There will be no kickbacks, if they are not spending any money.

[OneZero]

CCP wants a foothold in Thai water with advisors, maintainers (& spies) onsite in Thailand.  Thai PM probably felt pressure by CCP to buy a CCP product (bad strategic move for Thailand) or risk losing the downpayment as well as CCP cordiality.  A better bet would have been for Thailand to pursue surplus US Navy Coastal patrol vessels, like the following:

 

U.S. Navy’s Mark VI and 40-foot Patrol Boat Updates - Naval News

Navy Decommissions 3 Cyclone Patrol Craft; Looking to Shelve Mark VI Patrol Boat - USNI News

US transfers trio of Navy coastal patrol boats to Egypt following joint training | Stars and Stripes

PH Navy gets 2 ex-Cyclone patrol ships from US Navy | Philippine News Agency (pna.gov.ph)

 

 

[Morch]

27 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Excellent idea and I have thought along similar lines to you...........but being Thailand, good ideas and common sense gain little traction here.

Only that...

 

There will be the actual number of tractors bought will be lower, the difference in costs pocketed along the way.

All tractors supplied would have some mechanical failure.

The rental scheme proceeds stolen.

Some tractors ending up in private people's hands.

 

But yeah, almost anything is more useful than the Navy's shopping list.

 

 

[Accidental Tourist]

You still can sinking it... cluck cluck...

[Guderian]

It was only a Thai Navy corvette that sank last December, they're clearly looking to up their game, lol.

[Reigntax]

Hope they choose the periscope option!!

[MurakamiX]

4 hours ago, mikebell said:

I'm already looking to Laos if this happens.

 

I've always loved Laos. If it wasn't landlocked I'd likely live there 

[harada]

Is the price with or without an engine ?   🚣🏿

[Will B Good]

Confused.....they either needed a sub or they didn't....???

[Morch]

Just now, Will B Good said:

Confused.....they either needed a sub or they didn't....???

Up to you.

[Srikcir]

1 hour ago, digbeth said:

with the submarine tender already delivered and submarine dock already built and deep channels dredged for sub operation at the base, they'd probably put in a requisition to buy the subs later, with the updated spec to chinese engine 

Not to mention:

• In 2014 Thailand's navy inaugurated a £10 million (or about 540 million baht) submarine headquarters and training center, including a submarine simulator anticipating German submarine purchases. https://www.theguardian.com
• In 2020 naval personnel were being sent to China as its first group of Thai submariners to take training courses, to be ready for the 2023 submarine delivery. https://www.khaosodenglish.com

 

[Will B Good]

5 minutes ago, Morch said:

Up to you.

Guessing they didn't

 

[connda]

Smart choice and one that the Thai public will accept.

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, nglodnig said:

Remember, frigates aren't supposed to go UNDER the water.

Some Thai navy vessels do..

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, drgoon said:

Another waste of money and ego pampering. What I see is China consolidating a relationship with Thailand's military for the coming dramas with China's advance through the South China Sea and emerging tensions again with the Philippines. Added to this is the US strengthening it's military relationship with the Philippines creating 'provocative tensions' as said by China.

 

And good on Germany not giving access to engines.  

The only maritime threat in S China sea is China.. so why would Thailand need a Frigate or two?

[wombat]

7 hours ago, RanongCat said:

Nice  "face" save all round  and more practical at least.

hypersonic missiles are the way fwd

[off road pat]

7 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

So now it becomes clear that a submarine is not essential to the mission. And the MoD/RTN says surface ships can fulfill the mission.

 

from the linked article...

 

Sutin said that the RTN and the Defence Ministry have agreed that the submarine procurement must be reviewed, based on the worthiness of the project vis-à-vis its price tag.

 

This one will go down - not literally - in history as the biggest folly for the Thai military-idiocy complex.

 

 

 

 

 

 

..."This one will go down - not literally - in history as the biggest folly for the Thai military-idiocy complex"....Hm,..Don't underestimate the Thai Military,...they may/will surprise you with bigger folly's !!!

[off road pat]

1 hour ago, Xonax said:

There will be no kickbacks, if they are not spending any money.

It's all about the kickbacks !!!! and this is worldwide !!!

[bizboi]

Glad to see they’ve got their priorities right when Thai people are living on 50 baht a day.  
 

Does the engine come with this one?

[bizboi]

14 minutes ago, off road pat said:

It's all about the kickbacks !!!! and this is worldwide !!!

The worldwide corruption index (CPI) says very much more In Some places than others and Thailand doesn’t come out well there!!

[DJ54]

procurement project has not been scrapped per se.…… might still be on the hook for a sub….