Thailand's Submarine Deal in Limbo Amid Political Turmoil

[snoop1130]

File photo for reference only

 

Thailand’s long-standing submarine deal with China confronts further delays, as the Pheu Thai-led government fails to solidify a defence decision amidst an impending censure debate. This ongoing saga began in 2017, when a 13.9-billion-baht agreement was struck for the construction of an S26T Yuan-class submarine by China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co., Ltd (CSOC). Due to a German engine embargo linked to historical events, the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) considered switching to a Chinese-made engine, coupled with a compensation package.

 

Despite the proposal approved by the Defence Ministry, headed by Phumtham Wechayachai, it awaits cabinet approval, being tossed between multiple agencies instead. The navy has hinted at dissatisfaction with the current terms, notably the low compensation value, which critics deem insufficient.

 

 

The political backdrop thickens, with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s focus shifting towards an upcoming censure debate. Meanwhile, the RTN’s broader naval ambitions hang in balance, including a prospective 35-billion-baht frigate project aiming to invigorate Thailand's shipbuilding industry. These new warships promise cutting-edge features, yet financial constraints coupled with the submarine deal may limit the venture to only one frigate, posing potential stagnation risks to the industry.

 

The outcome of these grand maritime pursuits, amid political flux, remains uncertain and is crucial to Thailand's strategic defence future, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-03-07

 

 

[worgeordie]

I wonder how much money Thailand has handed China for 

the Submarine already , and is there an empty Submarine

shell slowly rusting away in a Chinese shipyard waiting for

an engine ,what a carry on .....

 

regards worgordie

[Tropicalevo]

5 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

I wonder how much money Thailand has handed China for 

the Submarine already , and is there an empty Submarine

shell slowly rusting away in a Chinese shipyard waiting for

an engine ,what a carry on .....

 

regards worgordie

Well spotted 

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thailands-submarine-project-to-finish-in-six-months-amid-delays

 

Quote

Construction of the submarines was reportedly 50% complete when progress was halted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Further delays occurred when the original plan to use German-made diesel engines was abandoned after Germany refused to supply them to China, classifying them as military/defence items.

 

 

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand’s long-standing submarine deal with China confronts further delays, as the Pheu Thai-led government fails to solidify a defence decision amidst an impending censure debate. This ongoing saga began in 2017, when a 13.9-billion-baht agreement was struck for the construction of an S26T Yuan-class submarine by China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co., Ltd (CSOC). Due to a German engine embargo linked to historical events, the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) considered switching to a Chinese-made engine, coupled with a compensation package.

Yet another Thai fisaco

[PBob]

They need to complete the submarine deal otherwise the money spent on the submarine uniform patches will hwve been wasted.

[watchcat]

16 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I wonder how much money Thailand has handed China for 

the Submarine already

 

Plenty I suppose but a few nice backhanders was handed over to thais.

[newbee2022]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

File photo for reference only

 

Thailand’s long-standing submarine deal with China confronts further delays, as the Pheu Thai-led government fails to solidify a defence decision amidst an impending censure debate. This ongoing saga began in 2017, when a 13.9-billion-baht agreement was struck for the construction of an S26T Yuan-class submarine by China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co., Ltd (CSOC). Due to a German engine embargo linked to historical events, the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) considered switching to a Chinese-made engine, coupled with a compensation package.

 

Despite the proposal approved by the Defence Ministry, headed by Phumtham Wechayachai, it awaits cabinet approval, being tossed between multiple agencies instead. The navy has hinted at dissatisfaction with the current terms, notably the low compensation value, which critics deem insufficient.

 

 

 

The political backdrop thickens, with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s focus shifting towards an upcoming censure debate. Meanwhile, the RTN’s broader naval ambitions hang in balance, including a prospective 35-billion-baht frigate project aiming to invigorate Thailand's shipbuilding industry. These new warships promise cutting-edge features, yet financial constraints coupled with the submarine deal may limit the venture to only one frigate, posing potential stagnation risks to the industry.

 

The outcome of these grand maritime pursuits, amid political flux, remains uncertain and is crucial to Thailand's strategic defence future, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-03-07

 

 

Since Thailand is surrounded by wild aggressive enemies it's a must to have subs for the Golf of Thailand. The golf is god sake shallow enough, so the subs are not necessarily to dive. Similar reason for frigates. Are the needed to defence US troops? I doubt it🤗

[Andycoops]

A complete shambles caused of course by the totally incompetent usurpers of democracy the coup d'etat Muppets.

 

A utter waste of taxpayer's money because no due diligence was done regarding the engine situation.

 

And of course nobody has been held accountable.

[mfd101]

Forward planning: In my observation, not a strength in Thai culture.  Living for the day is about the limit.

[thesetat]

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

These new warships promise cutting-edge features,

Cutting edge haha... These are old warship bought 2nd hand and did not even have a working engine. I serious doubt they will have the latest technology that other warships have. They have not even been able to get an engine yet. 

[redwood1]

51 minutes ago, watchcat said:

 

Plenty I suppose but a few nice backhanders was handed over to thais.

 

The submarine deal has been a 100% success story as far as the brown envelopes go...The former pig at the trough, knew they only had a few years of feeding so they made sure they were fed very very well.

 

I think the submarine deal was ment to be a failure from day #1....

 

Like come on.....Its been almost 10 years now....

 

 

[crazykopite]

They will be berthed up in a navel yard for years as the waters around Thailand are not deep enough to accommodate these submarines 

[Zack61]

17 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I wonder how much money Thailand has handed China for 

the Submarine already , and is there an empty Submarine

shell slowly rusting away in a Chinese shipyard waiting for

an engine ,what a carry on .....

 

regards worgordie

I’m not sure they give a sh!t. It’s not their money and it’s so easy to spend someone else’s money. Just so long as they pick up a few backhanders along the way. The longer they can drag this debacle on the more brown bag opportunities it offers. 

[harryviking]

Buying Chinese subs must be the dumbest ever! Havent these clowns in government already noticed that the Chinese subs are of sub standard quality???? They are "rat traps"!! Wake up! 

[spidermike007]

My question is this. If the extremely toxic and dangerously timid army are unwilling to take any risks whatsoever, with regard to Covid, why are they spending 22 billion baht on submarines? Obviously there is some risk in operating subs, and even more risk if as they say, they are purposed to protect against terrorist threats and any threat in the South China Sea. The real budget is more like 13 billion baht for the first 

S26T Yuan Class sub, due in 2013. And the real cost for the subsequent two? 

 

Denial is the M.O. of the CCP. The Chinese ships and subs are likely poorly made. Thankfully the Chinese navy is incapable of traveling more than 1,500 km., in ideal conditions. Likely more like 600 km. in war conditions. And they have very few deep sea ports. Their navy is a threat only to their smaller neighbors. 

 

Thai naval forces have not operated submarines for over 60 years now, while neighboring countries, particularly those with a major dispute at sea with Thailand, such as Vietnam, are all equipped with modern submarines. 

 

Looks like they are willing to take a huge risk with the treasury. Why were they so timid with Covid?

 

This government is a whirlpool of conflicting loyalties and interests. It's leader has to manage those interests, and effectively buy the loyalties of the various parts of the armed forces. The submarines are the price he has to pay for the navy supporting him. They will end up unusable and unaffordable, as did the aircraft carrier. There is no strategic justification for the submarines. There is really no military threat to Thailand, none of the countries with which it shares a land border have the capacity for anything other than the occasional cross border firefight. If you look carefully at all the military procurement of recent years, they are all to support ambitions, and thus buy the support of the various rival groups within the armed forces. They simply do not add up to any sort of a coherent modernisation or re-equipment of what remains a largely obsolete, immobile and under trained force, able only to undertake the most mundane of garrison duties, whilst it's bloated leadership occupies itself with playing politics or their own largely unregulated business ventures.

 

The government however (or more realistically those to whom it reports) must rely upon the military to keep it in power. It was put into power for one core function; to prevent the nascent political, social and economic liberalisation of Thai society which arose with the arrival of new technologies and communications, which have allowed a (younger) population which has long been kept ill educated and dependent for any advancement on its elders and sponsors, to communicate, educate themselves and develop business independent of those elders and sponsors. The Covid crisis was in a dimension beyond that, and it's timid, chaotic "rabbit in the headlights" response to the challenges it brought were simply because it did not know how to react, other than to use some of the opportunities to exercise power, in pursuit of that core function, which the social and political restrictions they argue the disease has necessitated, and granted them.

 

[ignore it]

All this eternal confabbing about  submarine that's just going to be docked.

 

They should just take delivery of the hull as is.

 

The admirals can sew a new badge on their uniforms and start dreaming of a new toy, as they do.

 

Then every year on Navy day clean the accumulated trash out of it, scrape the rust off of it add a dob of paint and open it up for the kids to crawl all over it.

 

 

 

[eddie61]

19 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I wonder how much money Thailand has handed China for 

the Submarine already , and is there an empty Submarine

shell slowly rusting away in a Chinese shipyard waiting for

an engine ,what a carry on .....

 

regards worgordie

 

[eddie61]

I’m sure the people who chose it have already been compensated 

[watchcat]

2 hours ago, redwood1 said:

 

The submarine deal has been a 100% success story as far as the brown envelopes go...The former pig at the trough, knew they only had a few years of feeding so they made sure they were fed very very well.

 

I think the submarine deal was ment to be a failure from day #1....

 

Like come on.....Its been almost 10 years now....

 

 

 

Yes I meant when China introduced : China can make just as good engines as the Germans, ad we'll throw in some extras just for you. This was not 10 years ago.

[QPRFC]

I'm gonna throw a spanner in the works....that's a ship not a submarine! 

[NobbyClarke]

It's easy, just ask the U.S.A. and the U.K.

I am sure both would be eager to secure a prominent and permanent place in Asia.

[JJ-Thailand]

Thailand purchase submarines from China to protect the country from China?

[NoMoonLogistics]

29 minutes ago, NobbyClarke said:

It's easy, just ask the U.S.A. and the U.K.

I am sure both would be eager to secure a prominent and permanent place in Asia.

Yes well... Briton promised Fortress Singapore in 1939 and promptly deserted. And America has a long lousy record against rice farmers in the region.

 

Any other Olde Worlde faded superpowers we can turn to?

 

 

[wensiensheng]

The longer it stays in limbo the better.

[Burma Bill]

22 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

long-standing submarine deal with China confronts further delays,

 

By the time this deal is complete, the submarine will take pride of place in a Thai Maritime Museum!!

 

(Royal Navy Submarine museum, Haslar, UK)

 

[Robert_Smith]

Tanks on the streets again soon...

 

Thai's never learn.

 

Memories like goldfish..

 

regards,

bob.

[theshu25]

looks like the deal has sunk to new levels.

[Purdey]

Why do I get a sneaking suspicion that the Pheu Thai government could get into serious trouble for this issue, which they didn't make? 

[AustinRacing]

Worried about cutting edge features. Surely they can round them by sanding to avoid cutting. 
This was going to be her question at the meeting but daddy said no need to ask that honey. 

[Nickcage49]

With all of the Thai people living in extreme poverty, should submarines be a priority?