Military Submarine Saga: Phumtham Greenlights Thai Navy’s Chinese Sub Purchase

[webfact]

Yuan-class S26T. File photo courtesy of Defence Security Asia

In a significant move, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has approved the Royal Thai Navy’s plan to purchase a Chinese-built S26T submarine, with the proposal now heading to the cabinet for final clearance.

 

The approval followed hot on the heels of his transition from the Defence Ministry to the Interior Ministry on July 2.

 

The 12.4-billion-baht deal involves buying the Yuan-class submarine equipped with a Chinese-made engine, replacing the German MTU396 engine amid years of deliberation.

 

Despite controversy, including international pressure over arms sales, Phumtham cleared the path for this contentious acquisition.

 

During his last act at the Defence Ministry, Phumtham addressed the vacant post of Defence Minister, expressing confidence in finding a capable candidate.

 

Although he refrained from approving a separate jet fighter deal, he left it for his successor to evaluate further military procurement strategies.

 

The submarine deal has faced numerous hurdles as some navy admirals encouraged the shift to the untested Chinese CHD620 engine.

 

The hesitation arose partly due to export restrictions from Germany, which has largely boycotted military sales to China over policy disagreements.

 

Meanwhile, decisions on acquiring a fleet of jet fighters remain pending, with the air force favouring Swedish Saab JAS 39E Gripen jets over the American F-16 Block 70s.

 

The choice must undergo substantial review by the incoming Defence Minister to ensure the best outcome for national defence.

 

Phumtham's departure and the upcoming oath-taking ceremony mark a pivotal transition point, leaving key military decisions in the hands of his successors.

 

As the government navigates these strategic choices, the emphasis lies on strengthening ties across all military branches, maintaining a united front for Thailand's defence landscape.

 

With this green light from Phumtham, attention now shifts to the cabinet's final decision on this high-stakes submarine purchase.

 

The outcome could shape maritime strategy and regional alliances, underscoring the broader implications of this controversial maritime acquisition.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Thai Newsroom, Agencies 2025-07-03

 

 

[ChrisY1]

PM sidelined....then Phumtham gives the go ahead for billions in spending on useless submarines!  You just can't make this stuff up!

[Emdog]

What sort of discount (if any) did they get for accepting Chinese engines instead of German? Couldn't cancel the order; too many envelopes already distributed and spent. Chinese engines should be good enough. Just park the subs next to the aircraft carrier. Problem solved

[redwood1]

Folks just to refresh your memory, this whole Sub deal started in 2016 or 2017....  It is now 2025........I can only imagine the vast number of millions that have already been skimmed off the top of this Sub deal....I guess the Sub funds were getting low from round #1 so its time for round #2....

[lordgrinz]

Finally! It can now be parked next to the useless aircraft carrier, and should put the fear of God/Buddha into their enemies.....LOL

 

Any bets on how long it will take before they accidentally sink it?

[klauskunkel]

Pheu Thai appeasing the military

[Dogmatix]

These will be a great attraction on Childrens' Day moored next to the aircraft carrier that has no planes and is too expensive to take out in the bay for a spin.  It would be much cheaper for the taxpayer, if the bribes were just paid to the corrupt military and ;politicians without having to buy the useless junk.

[daveAustin]

[wombat]

Please scuze this dumb @$$ Skippy.

My geography says the Gulf of Siam isn't deep enough for subs?

[ezzra]

A poor pensioner in Thailand that worked and paid taxes all their lives get 1,000 baht a month, the very sick people has nowhere to go, they stay at home cared by their family and Thailand, who has no enemies to speak of, buys a sub,

what's next, a wing of B2's? I wonder.

[lordgrinz]

2 minutes ago, ezzra said:

A poor pensioner in Thailand that worked and paid taxes all their lives get 1,000 baht a month, the very sick people has nowhere to go, they stay at home cared by their family and Thailand, who has no enemies to speak of, buys a sub,

what's next, a wing of B2's? I wonder.

 

They tried to buy F-35 stealth fighter(s), but failed miserably.

[newbee2022]

Does it come with oars? 😳

[ezzra]

Thai pilots, how shell we say, not ripe enough yet for the F35 so they're buying Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets from Sweden instead. 

[lordgrinz]

3 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Thai pilots, how shell we say, not ripe enough yet for the F35 so they're buying Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets from Sweden instead. 

 

Well, they couldn't get the F35, the Thai's are way too friendly with the Chinese. Also, they really don't need the heavy bomb loads of the newer Block F16's, the Gripen is a better fit for air to air combat they "might" see.

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

PM sidelined....then Phumtham gives the go ahead for billions in spending on useless submarines!  You just can't make this stuff up!

Thailand does... almost daily.

[Burma Bill]

Is this Chinese submarine fitted with Chinese Lithium batteries? 

I hope there are plenty of escape hatches!

[Sydebolle]

In all fairness, Thais do not deserve a better, more honest government.

If you see all this manure coming by the trainloads and still nobody stands up against all this cheating, corruption and inability to get anything right for their own people, then they have to accept what they get - if at all - and that's exactly where we are today. 

The third prime minister in a week and it is only Thursday 😉 

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, Emdog said:

too many envelopes already distributed and spent. Chinese engines should be good enough.

Substantial down payment was paid years ago under the Prayut regime and his "arranged" Parliament approved an installment plan to payoff the balance of the acquisition. That plan cannot be altered nor delayed without agreement from China.

So whatever the current Parliament decides now is already committed.

The so-called "Chinese engine" is actually Chinese generator that will be modified to operate as a propulsion engine. China will certify the "engine" as functional (?) but note that China does not use the generator on any of its submarines as an engine!  So what is a certification really worth?

[Selatan]

27 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Substantial down payment was paid years ago under the Prayut regime and his "arranged" Parliament approved an installment plan to payoff the balance of the acquisition. That plan cannot be altered nor delayed without agreement from China.

So whatever the current Parliament decides now is already committed.

The so-called "Chinese engine" is actually Chinese generator that will be modified to operate as a propulsion engine. China will certify the "engine" as functional (?) but note that China does not use the generator on any of its submarines as an engine!  So what is a certification really worth?

CHD620 is actually a licensed-manufactured version of the German MTU396 engine. China have produced the CHD620 engines for Germany.

 

https://www.defensemirror.com/news/35501/Chinese_Submarine_Engine_is_a_Licensed_produced_German_Powerplant__Thai_Navy_Chief

 

The Hangor-class submarine, jointly produced by China and Pakistan, uses the CHD620 engine.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangor-class_submarine

[TheFishman1]

When people literally starving here living below the property level and they want to spend billions on a sub boy these people that passed about envelopes they just don’t give a <deleted> about their country or their people just more money in their own pockets total scam totally a waste of money could’ve been spent helping the people instead of filling billionaires pockets TIT 

[Grusa]

6 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

Finally! It can now be parked next to the useless aircraft carrier, and should put the fear of God/Buddha into their enemies.....LOL

 

Any bets on how long it will take before they accidentally sink it?

If they laid down the keel when the deal was arranged, it will have rusted through and sunk already!

[ignore it]

The submarine will protect the aircraft carrier by detecting and neutralizing underwater and surface threats.

[KannikaP]

3 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Does it come with oars? 😳

Fresh from Pattaya!

[DezLez]

2 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

In all fairness, Thais do not deserve a better, more honest government.

B.S,

Every countries in the world  deserve a good and honest Government!

The problem is where you will find such a utopia?

 

PS; Does one exist?

[billd766]

10 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

PM sidelined....then Phumtham gives the go ahead for billions in spending on useless submarines!  You just can't make this stuff up!

Of course if you have a problem with Thailand buying the submarine, (IMHO it is a waste of time and money),  I suggest that you take it up with tha admirals who ordered it in the first place, all the Defence Ministers who dithered with it in the first place, and Prayuth under whose illegal coup government ordered it in the beginning.

 

IMO, Phumtam signed it off instead of playing pass the parcel with it.

 

However that is simply my opinion.

 

YMMV.

[SABloke]

56 minutes ago, ignore it said:

The submarine will protect the aircraft carrier by detecting and neutralizing underwater and surface threats.

 

"Surface threats" being foreign tourists wanting to have a look at the aircraft carrier, not knowing it's for Thai eyes only 🙄 Like they seriously think foreign spies are coming to steal the Spanish designed ship's "secrets". Wikipedia is generous calling it "the smallest functioning aircraft carrier in the world." 🤣

[Bernietravelling]

6 hours ago, wombat said:

Please scuze this dumb @$$ Skippy.

My geography says the Gulf of Siam isn't deep enough for subs?

only for US submariners 🤣

 

Average depth Gulf of Thailand: 45 m

Average depth Baltic Sea: 52 m

[Zakhar]

16 hours ago, webfact said:

Yuan-class S26T. File photo courtesy of Defence Security Asia

In a significant move, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has approved the Royal Thai Navy’s plan to purchase a Chinese-built S26T submarine, with the proposal now heading to the cabinet for final clearance.

 

The approval followed hot on the heels of his transition from the Defence Ministry to the Interior Ministry on July 2.

 

The 12.4-billion-baht deal involves buying the Yuan-class submarine equipped with a Chinese-made engine, replacing the German MTU396 engine amid years of deliberation.

 

Despite controversy, including international pressure over arms sales, Phumtham cleared the path for this contentious acquisition.

 

During his last act at the Defence Ministry, Phumtham addressed the vacant post of Defence Minister, expressing confidence in finding a capable candidate.

 

Although he refrained from approving a separate jet fighter deal, he left it for his successor to evaluate further military procurement strategies.

 

The submarine deal has faced numerous hurdles as some navy admirals encouraged the shift to the untested Chinese CHD620 engine.

 

The hesitation arose partly due to export restrictions from Germany, which has largely boycotted military sales to China over policy disagreements.

 

Meanwhile, decisions on acquiring a fleet of jet fighters remain pending, with the air force favouring Swedish Saab JAS 39E Gripen jets over the American F-16 Block 70s.

 

The choice must undergo substantial review by the incoming Defence Minister to ensure the best outcome for national defence.

 

Phumtham's departure and the upcoming oath-taking ceremony mark a pivotal transition point, leaving key military decisions in the hands of his successors.

 

As the government navigates these strategic choices, the emphasis lies on strengthening ties across all military branches, maintaining a united front for Thailand's defence landscape.

 

With this green light from Phumtham, attention now shifts to the cabinet's final decision on this high-stakes submarine purchase.

 

The outcome could shape maritime strategy and regional alliances, underscoring the broader implications of this controversial maritime acquisition.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Thai Newsroom, Agencies 2025-07-03

 

 

 

16 hours ago, webfact said:

Yuan-class S26T. File photo courtesy of Defence Security Asia

In a significant move, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has approved the Royal Thai Navy’s plan to purchase a Chinese-built S26T submarine, with the proposal now heading to the cabinet for final clearance.

 

The approval followed hot on the heels of his transition from the Defence Ministry to the Interior Ministry on July 2.

 

The 12.4-billion-baht deal involves buying the Yuan-class submarine equipped with a Chinese-made engine, replacing the German MTU396 engine amid years of deliberation.

 

Despite controversy, including international pressure over arms sales, Phumtham cleared the path for this contentious acquisition.

 

During his last act at the Defence Ministry, Phumtham addressed the vacant post of Defence Minister, expressing confidence in finding a capable candidate.

 

Although he refrained from approving a separate jet fighter deal, he left it for his successor to evaluate further military procurement strategies.

 

The submarine deal has faced numerous hurdles as some navy admirals encouraged the shift to the untested Chinese CHD620 engine.

 

The hesitation arose partly due to export restrictions from Germany, which has largely boycotted military sales to China over policy disagreements.

 

Meanwhile, decisions on acquiring a fleet of jet fighters remain pending, with the air force favouring Swedish Saab JAS 39E Gripen jets over the American F-16 Block 70s.

 

The choice must undergo substantial review by the incoming Defence Minister to ensure the best outcome for national defence.

 

Phumtham's departure and the upcoming oath-taking ceremony mark a pivotal transition point, leaving key military decisions in the hands of his successors.

 

As the government navigates these strategic choices, the emphasis lies on strengthening ties across all military branches, maintaining a united front for Thailand's defence landscape.

 

With this green light from Phumtham, attention now shifts to the cabinet's final decision on this high-stakes submarine purchase.

 

The outcome could shape maritime strategy and regional alliances, underscoring the broader implications of this controversial maritime acquisition.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Thai Newsroom, Agencies 2025-07-03

 

 

What happened? Bamboo diplomacy killed the defense partnership with the USA? "Thailand being the U.S.'s oldest treaty ally in Asia, dating back to the 1833 Treaty of Amity and Commerce and reinforced by the 1954 Manila Pact. Thailand was designated a Major Non-NATO Ally in 2003, and the two countries engage in extensive military cooperation, including over 400 annual military engagements and the Cobra Gold exercise, the largest multinational military exercise in the Indo-Pacific."

[kiwikeith]

21 hours ago, Emdog said:

What sort of discount (if any) did they get for accepting Chinese engines instead of German? Couldn't cancel the order; too many envelopes already distributed and spent. Chinese engines should be good enough. Just park the subs next to the aircraft carrier. Problem solved

Is the sub equipped to catch prawns, then it serves a dual purpose?? 

[Sydebolle]

16 hours ago, DezLez said:

B.S,

Every countries in the world  deserve a good and honest Government!

The problem is where you will find such a utopia?

 

PS; Does one exist?

Regretfully you are spot on with your statement 😞 Could not agree more!