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

[PETERTHEEATER]

3 hours ago, transam said:

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

From Subway?

[gejohesch]

11 hours ago, Elkski said:

So stupid

What was rather stupid in the first place, to me at least, was to opt for submarines. The Gulf of Thailand is ca. 60m deep in average, and never above 85m. If I remember right (it's not my field), a submarine has to be sthg like a minimum of 20 m below sealevel not to be detected too easily, and has to clear the seabottom by a minimum of 20m for safety reasons. Which leaves on average a 20m depth range to operate. That does not sound a lot to me!

 

Then of course, the Andaman Sea is much, much deeper. But what would be the purpose of a thai submarine? To face off India, the obvious big player in the region? No chance to compete whatsoever!

 

So, thai submarines sounded to me like toys for the guys on top, and a complete waste of money.

[statman78]

I wonder if China is going to purchase an additional 17 billion baht of Thai products.  Wasn’t it earlier this year that the PM proposed that as part of weapons procurement the country selling the weapon should agree to buy an equal amount (or more) of Thai goods.

 

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/politics/thai-pms-new-weapons-procurement-plan-to-boost-national-economy

Edited October 21, 2023 by statman78

[cncltd1973]

14 hours ago, nglodnig said:

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

but if they don't sink them, how will they buy new ones?

[itsari]

Should keep the so called government afloat for a few months.

[cowellandrew]

So who has pocketed the 4 billion?

[cowellandrew]

Dive dive dive to Periscope depth!

😂

[josephbloggs]

8 hours 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.

Nothing to do with it being Thailand. Which other country spends military budgets on general good? Which country takes money from the military and spends it on farmers? Let me know and then you can have your "being Thailand" comment.

 

The UK has cancelled the second leg of HS2. Will they spend the money saved on farmers? Building houses for the poor? Feeding kids at school?

I think the sub and HS2 were colossal wastes of money by the way, but saying it is a Thailand thing is ridiculous.

 

[neeray]

13 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.

 

 

"Higher price tag" because now the BIG backhander has to be paid a second time. The sub backhander sank with the previous government.

[OldBird]

Do not worry, all those Chinese electronics in that ship will make good and sure you are monitored 24/7. For your own safety.

[ThailandRyan]

12 hours ago, DaddyWarbucks said:

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

My outlook, is they needed a frigate to replace the one that sunk near Prachuap Khiri Khan this year, and the Chinese could use the one being built to replace the one they just sunk.... great trade up for China plus the extra dough.....just my view.

[ThailandRyan]

1 hour ago, neeray said:

"Higher price tag" because now the BIG backhander has to be paid a second time. The sub backhander sank with the previous government.

Sank right into Prayuts deep pockets... you meant right?

[fobuff]

So the submarines were not needed in the end.....🤔

[neeray]

Just now, ThailandRyan said:

Sank right into Prayuts deep pockets... you meant right?

I purposely left the final disposition of backhander funds up to the individual reader's imagination.

[neeray]

Just now, fobuff said:

So the submarines were not needed in the end.....🤔

They never were needed. They were just over-priced toys, or a vehicle to move cash around (not literally).

[J Branche]

Yep, submarine is total waste for Thailand.  No disrespect but who is going to invade this country?  It would have to have resources that are rare or something of great value or interest.

 

I can almost guarantee they would have hit something in the submarine or some critical systems would fail due to lack of maintenance and we would be reading a very sad story about the crew

[natway09]

We may need another round of "commissions before anything can be inked

[2baht]

12 hours ago, gejohesch said:

So, thai submarines sounded to me like toys for the guys on top, and a complete waste of money.

The guys on top thought it was a great idea, kaching kaching! Are you under the illusion the govt helps it's people??? 🤔

[2baht]

9 hours ago, cowellandrew said:

So who has pocketed the 4 billion?

Try to keep up, Petal, the Chinese got most of the money less commission!

[herfiehandbag]

17 hours 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.

But can you imagine the immense accounting infastructure the informal accounting procedures would require? Not just for the initial purchase and distribution of the tractors but on a nationwide basis, to manage the rental monies  flowing into each tambon. Then the maintenance...

[herfiehandbag]

8 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

My outlook, is they needed a frigate to replace the one that sunk near Prachuap Khiri Khan this year, and the Chinese could use the one being built to replace the one they just sunk.... great trade up for China plus the extra dough.....just my view.

What happened to the plan to raise that one? I mean, wasn't a budget approved, then it all went very quiet...

[VinnieK]

Frigate? No need..

They're gonna raise the one that sunk a year ago.

Dust off..good as new.

 

 

[Skeptic7]

Chinese sub...Frig It❗

[mikebell]

19 hours ago, MurakamiX said:

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

18 years of Pattaya beach has cured me of this ailment.

[Morch]

15 hours ago, cowellandrew said:

So who has pocketed the 4 billion?

Probably not that much, and guess it was split between 2-3 factions.

[Morch]

13 hours ago, OldBird said:

Do not worry, all those Chinese electronics in that ship will make good and sure you are monitored 24/7. For your own safety.

Wonder if they can install a kill-switch on these things, just in case.

[gejohesch]

5 hours ago, 2baht said:

Are you under the illusion the govt helps it's people??? 🤔

Not so much!

[The Joker]

Wow, what a great news to hear. Don't they have other important things to spend money on rather than this Frigxxx <deleted> from *****

Edited October 22, 2023 by The Joker
slit correction.

[metisdead]

A post with a derogatory ethnic slur comment contravening our Community Standards has been removed.

[Longwood50]

On 10/21/2023 at 4:11 AM, webfact said:

The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has decided to switch from procuring a submarine from China to a frigate, estimated to cost 17 billion baht compared to the S26T Yuan-class submarine’s price tag of 13.5 billion, Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang said yesterday (Friday).

They were going to trade it for a used aircraft carrier but then they remembered they didn't have any fighter aircraft that could land or take off from a carrier. 

These have to be just toys for the military to play with.  Should Thailand ever need to defend itself the first question would be against who and the second would be do you really believe that whatever armaments the military had here in Thailand that they would be able to defend the country against a well armed aggressor?