Thailand to Buy Battle Tanks from China

[Usernames]

The US and Vietnam are laying the groundwork for US military sales to Vietnam. Wonder how this Chinese tank would do facing off against an M1 Abrams? Could be that Thailand chose the wrong supplier.

What all those soldiers killed during the American/ Vietnam war and now the US are selling arms to pinko commies..

BTW the topic is Thailand, China and tanks...not US, Vietnam..and M1s

The topic just might include the implicit use of these newly purchased Chinese tanks. Just what are they for? Just why is Thailand shifting its military procurement from the US and Europe to China and Russia? Things getting a little clearer for you? Here is another point of clarity: Vietnam and several other neighbors of Thailand have direct territorial disputes with China, who Thailand is in the process of allying itself with. So, yes, if these new Chinese tanks conceivably find themselves in combat, it could be with an enemy of the Thai-Chinese axis. And if American weapons are sold to Vietnam, then that means these Chinese made tanks could be facing off against Abram M1s. And if that is the case, btw, I wouldn't put two nickels on the Chinese made POS.

But thats an off topic,speculating and a convoluted attempt to bring the US into a topic once again..the topic is about purchase of said tanks not what they would used for.

Why dont you start a new topic then ?

It's fairly routine logic to expect someone to explain exactly what the use is of items a government is paying so much for.

[losworld]

How do they know they are not getting a copy of a copy?

[mamypoko]

Chanks?

[Emster23]

Do they come with a warranty?

You ever try to use a warranty here? This can be seen as a peace move. Neighboring countries have nothing to fear from this purchase

[lust]

Lifan engines and concrete filled armor.

[RatchadaMan]

You would have to wonder if somewhere in the People's Republic of China extensive military (Black Ops \ Hacking Division) if there is a BIG RED BUTTON that says....

STOP

Just in the event they end up fighting their own tanks one day (let's say if the South China Sea Isand building thingy goes pear-shaped soon)

[JAG]

28 tanks. less than a regiment ( battalion in US speak?). Not much of a main striking force.

Still they're new. new. new I tell you...

I wonder how much the logistical supply train ( all high mobility vehicles to keep up with the tanks of course), mobile workshops to repair them, engineer equipment to give battlefield mobility and the transporter fleet to move them rapidly to any threatened corner of the Kingdom is costing?

Or maybe not...

[Hedghog]

The Russian alternative was found to be unsuitable.

Particularly in windy conditions.

[gandalf12]

Who are they going to invade with them? Vietnam is right out of the question as is Cambodia. Apart from the war Thailand had with Myanmar many centuries ago I cant think of any war they have been actively engaged in. Please correct me if I am wrong

[ChrisY1]

So it appears that while the Chinese rail people will not progress with the Thai projects commission demands, the Chinese defense industry will......just an observation of course!!

[elgordo38]

Do you really need tanks to cut down student protesters? Seems like overkill.

How many are they buying?

The got the Tianmeman Square playbook for free with every tank.

[Familyaffairs]

It must be everso pleasing that shopping is made so much easier when you control the purse......

[Familyaffairs]

So it appears that while the Chinese rail people will not progress with the Thai projects commission demands, the Chinese defense industry will......just an observation of course!!

incorrect; the Middle Kingdom is back in the rail project, all the brooha was just shadow dancing, thej Ntention was there all along.. The country has slipped into a suffocating embrace with the Middle Kingdom and the Bear. When in the near future muscles are flexed in the S China Sea, whose side will they be on ?

[White Christmas13]

What's wrong with continuing to use Elephants?

They are protected now

[ggt]

Where does one suppose they are going to use these tanks? In the hilly jungle terrain...in the mountains of the North...how about the streets of the city?

[BSJ]

So it appears that while the Chinese rail people will not progress with the Thai projects commission demands, the Chinese defense industry will......just an observation of course!!

incorrect; the Middle Kingdom is back in the rail project, all the brooha was just shadow dancing, thej Ntention was there all along.. The country has slipped into a suffocating embrace with the Middle Kingdom and the Bear. When in the near future muscles are flexed in the S China Sea, whose side will they be on ?

"whose side will they be on " that depends on who is offering the best candy!

[Bender]

since uncle too, took power, he was very, but very busy spending money...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Let's just hope, for Thailand's soldiers' sake, that the Chinese tanks perform better than the ill-fated China-made Android school tablets did...

BTW, I wonder if Thailand's going to be paying the Chinese for the tanks with old, rotting rice stockpiles?

[jerojero]

And why does the Thai Army need new and or more tanks? Nobody is going to invade Thailand! Center of the universe thinking again. Or Army generals want to gain face by showing off some new toys.

[Praematura]

Thailand must be foreseeing wars with imaginary enemies as they going on a shopping spree of submarines,

tanks, armored personal carriers and new jet fighters from Sweden, all the while the country is

parched and getting drier by the day while government is waiting for the rain to come... way to Thailand,

you got your priorities all backwards.....

The most efficient way for folks to pad their offshore accounts before relinquishing power. It's no wonder they buy inferior crap from China when there's a rebate *cough* kickbacks involved.

$150 million dollar deal... The math could resolve how a general with a salary of a few thousand could accumulate millions...

Edited May 19, 2016 by Praematura

[Thingamabob]

Here we go. Bungs all round. Great for the boys in green, very sad for everyone else.

[Oziex1]

Never been exported. Thailand is the first customer. Logistics, repairs, training won't be in place; why would Thailand want to be a guinea pig here?

Probably so the people at the top can keep and divi up between them a significant amount of the money budgeted for the purchase of the tanks.

[IAMHERE]

Never been exported. Thailand is the first customer. Logistics, repairs, training won't be in place; why would Thailand want to be a guinea pig here?

I'd imagine because the money is right, wink wink.

[IAMHERE]

Never been exported. Thailand is the first customer. Logistics, repairs, training won't be in place; why would Thailand want to be a guinea pig here?

I'd imagine because the money is right, wink wink.

The day is going to come when China will need to pressure Vietnam from the west. Having prepositioned tanks that China could borrow would help the Chinese put pressure on Vietnam to enforce the South China Sea claims. Just fly the crews into an airport Chinese pilots are familiar with and the tanks are already there.

[Mickmouse1]

What a F scam !!!!!

[cpofc]

Fine, Hi Grade, Australian Iron Ore there!

The Arms Race is alive and well in Asia. They are all into it. Those who can afford it, and even those who can't.

its just the way things are. It is not mandatory you have any real enemies. If you haven't one, you just make one up. Just prior to reading this thread I was reading this latest headline tonight:

A FORMER NATO boss has warned Europe could be locked in nuclear war with Russia “within a year” triggered by a Russian incursion into Baltic States; Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

The chilling warning comes from General Sir Richard Shirreff, who served as NATO’s Deputy Supreme Allied Commander

Wonderful news indeed. Just the thing to render even the best Battle Tank redundant.

[Mudcrab]

What a F scam !!!!!

Please elaborate on your thoughtful post.

Is every purchase by any government an F scam?

[jamesbrock]

What a F scam !!!!!

Please elaborate on your thoughtful post.

Is every purchase by any government an F scam?

Pretty much, yes.

[GinBoy2]

As is often the case here in Thailand, the question always has to be asked; what exactly is the battle scenario in which tanks would be used?

Now we are not talking about the middle east, tanks thundering across the desert, or Europe tanks clearing the way for ground troops.

So, are we pondering rolling across the Mekong to subdue the Laos? Maybe an incursion into Vietnam, that won't end well, they actually know how to fight!

This is yet another example of boys buying toys with no real idea of how or where they would use them, if indeed they were ever competent to actually use them.

The Thai military serves a single purpose, and that is 100% internally focused. They focus themselves on internal suppression only. God help them if one day an external threat really did appear...they'd be clueless, tanks, submarines and all

[northernphil]

Do they come with a warranty?

I doubt if a water tank would come with a warranty from China .