Does Thailand Really Need Submarines?
The Royal Thai Navy has outlined its reasons for wanting submarines. They’re not very convincing.
By Eugene Mark

BANGKOK: -- The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) will seek Cabinet approval to purchase three Chinese-made Yuan class S26T submarines for 36 billion baht ($1 billion). Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan confirmed the news in July 2016.

The S26T submarines are diesel-powered with a displacement of 2,400-3,000 tonnes and equipped with weapons including torpedoes and sea mines. According to reports, China would also transfer knowledge on the submarine maintenance, systems, and weapons.

This is only one out of many attempts by the RTN to seek approval for submarine purchases. The RTN has been pursuing the purchase of submarines since the 1990s, but has not yet been able to obtain funding approval for submarine purchases because of the cabinet’s concerns over the cost of this purchase relative to the requirements for this capability. In order to convince the Thai public, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha had asked the RTN to explain the necessity of the submarine purchases. The RTN then released a nine-page document detailing the reasons for wanting to purchase submarines from China.

Full story: http://thediplomat.com/2016/07/does-thailand-really-need-submarines/

-- THE DIPLOMAT 2016-07-21

One word... No.... Submarines are about projecting power rather than defense.... or for moving your nuclear weapons around as a deterrent..... All they need for defense is sonar based listening posts setup around and maybe destroyers with depth charges to protect the coastal area.

Of course they need submarines.......the toy box is not full. They will be a great novelty on Childrens Day. Thoughtful!

Of course they do it's raining really hard this morning!

Submarines are the only way you can control the invading Burmese Long Boat Brigade across the Chao Praya River!

I'm sure a case can be made for so many items of military hardware but this has been badly handled, projected as almost an entitlement based on flimsy reasoning and boiling down to ' neighbouring countries have them '.

Dare I mention FACE ?

Of course they need submarines.......the toy box is not full. They will be a great novelty on Childrens Day. Thoughtful!

It might also save some "face", 555, when, every year, they celebrate national submarine day, even though they haven't had a sub since 1951, oh and they still have a submarine branch, even sent officers overseas for training, even though NO subs to use, is this country a joke, or not.

Yes Thailand needs Chinese subs.

Got to keep the Chinese happy.

Totally useless for the Thai navy to have subs, but hey it is toys for the boys time.

Lets buy some subs, then ground them in the shallow waters in the gulf of Thailand.

Stupid idea, but Prayut needs to keep the navy on side.

Oh I just thought of it....

They should make sure they get yellow submarines

Of course they need submarines.......the toy box is not full. They will be a great novelty on Childrens Day. Thoughtful!

It might also save some "face", 555, when, every year, they celebrate national submarine day, even though they haven't had a sub since 1951, oh and they still have a submarine branch, even sent officers overseas for training, even though NO subs to use, is this country a joke, or not.

Highly skilled, equipped and motivated maintenance and salvage teams are at the ready.

And 1 billion dollars is only the start for the toys for the boys.

All this money wasted when it could go into health and education of the poor.

Same old same old. Anyone north of Bangkok..... Well we all know where they stand.

No.......

Yes, all nations need more and more weapons of war and the producers of these weapons need their money. The thousands of military at the rank of admirals and generals need the 'commissions' for their national park resorts, kids' educations in the UK and regular family trips to Disneyland and Las Vegas. There will be no questions.

Who really believes this ISN'T all about corruption and skim off the top. Lack of accountability (literally), transparency and oversight makes this a sick joke in a country that could better-use that money to improve the lot of its citizens.

And 1 billion dollars is only the start for the toys for the boys.

All this money wasted when it could go into health and education of the poor.

Same old same old. Anyone north of Bangkok..... Well we all know where they stand.

The budget is in deficit 390 billion baht already so what's another 36 billion on top of that.

It seems all the navy is good for at the best of times is to destroy invading Vietnamese fishing boats and kill Vietnamese fishermen.

That little war game could be made much more exciting by torpedoing them.

Probably for creating some new jobs for retired speed boat captains

Oh I just thought of it....

They should make sure they get yellow submarines

It's a safe bet they won't be RED!

Thailand need submarines like a hole in the head, they think that subs are nice toys to boast about and

looks good on parade and to go deep seas fishing for the generals,

All Thailand need for their maritime security is fast response missile boats equipped with helicopters and

state of art latest array of weaponry to patrol the territorial waters around Thailand......

Oh I just thought of it....

They should make sure they get yellow submarines

It's a safe bet they won't be RED!

I kinda fancy chakri naruebet grey myself.

this is a silly topic. but if we were to talk about what Thailand might need, and conceivable in our lifetimes (the peer reviewed Hansen study, just a few months ago) maybe they need what their most important neighbors already have? in a area that alliances such as that with the USA will not be of help at all. India, Pakistan and China... having gone back and forth across those borders not too long ago.... like the low pressure that makes for good circulation in a house, or allows planes to fly... at the same time Bangkokians will be in a fix, so will 100,000,000 Bangaladeshians and where o where will they choose to go if their choice is salt water and starvation... ? that's not the itsey bitsy Middle East.. and add in the Vietnam Delta at the exact same time!

Edited July 21, 20169 yr by maewang99

Submarines are a very useful source of personal income for the military top brass. With the salary of a general little over the 100,000 Baht a month, how else would they send their kids to top universities abroad, buy houses in European capital cities and other such essentials?

Gulf of Thailand is too shallow for submarines. Maybe could be used on rhe Andaman side.

Andaman Sea. Yeah, see my just earlier post.

Let,s face it, the money could be much better spent elsewhere, especially on public facilities like sorting out Pattaya,s flooding problems. In addition the subs would be a massive ongoing expense until they joined the aircraft carrier in Sattahip

One word... No.... Submarines are about projecting power rather than defense.... or for moving your nuclear weapons around as a deterrent..... All they need for defense is sonar based listening posts setup around and maybe destroyers with depth charges to protect the coastal area.

You definitely have very limited military knowledge.

One word... No.... Submarines are about projecting power rather than defense.... or for moving your nuclear weapons around as a deterrent..... All they need for defense is sonar based listening posts setup around and maybe destroyers with depth charges to protect the coastal area.

You definitely have very limited military knowledge.

Well then add something and enlighten me.... what purpose does submarines serve for a country like Thailand?

China would also transfer knowledge on the submarine maintenance, systems, and weapons

, along with spyware, locater bugs and viruses.

Of course they do so they can be safely docked somewhere for selfies to be take posing in front of them.

If they actually go to sea will there be a standing order that under no circumstances must they dive ?

Oh I just thought of it....

They should make sure they get yellow submarines

Would be a breach of copyright as well