Jump to content

Thailand and China: Brothers in arms


webfact

Recommended Posts

Thailand and China: Brothers in arms

MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR, Asia regional correspondent

 

Bangkok looks to Beijing for military supplies after US relations sour

 

BANGKOK Thailand will buy submarines "not for battle, but so that others will be in awe of us," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the nation's former military chief and current head of its ruling junta, said at a 2016 press conference.

 

Prayuth's regime took a decisive step toward that muscular view in January after the National Legislative Assembly, the country's rubber-stamp parliament, approved a bill to spend 13.5 billion baht ($383 million) to buy a Chinese submarine -- the first of an expected three-boat, $1 billion deal.

 

The Yuan-class S26T submarine will be delivered in about six years to the Thai navy's submarine squadron, which trained in Germany and South Korea but had no vessel to operate. That became glaringly obvious in July 2014, two months after the military seized power, when a $17.3 million submarine headquarters and training center was opened in Sattahip, a naval base on the Gulf of Thailand. The Thai navy decommissioned its last submarine in the early 1950s.

 

Full story: http://asia.nikkei.com/magazine/20170202/Politics-Economy/Thailand-and-China-Brothers-in-arms

 

-- NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW 2017-02-02

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, webfact said:

"not for battle, but so that others will be in awe of us,"

So glad to see that they have their priorities straight.

 

Maybe they can offer free pad thai and som tam to all navies that catch them in the water during naval exercises. That would certainly awe people.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote

Thailand will buy submarines "not for battle, but so that others will be in awe of us," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha,

 

:cheesy::cheesy::cheesy:

 

Who is others: North Korea, Burma? Stroll on. That one phrase right there says everything that is wrong with this part of the world. I would be quite surprised, not awed, if you could build your own Vanguard-class nuke subs, let alone making do with the Chinese's poxy diesel-powered cast-offs. 

Edited by daveAustin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The way this report is worded, you'd think that US relations have just soured and they are rushing to purchase submarines. The Royal Thai Navy voted on the purchase of 3 Chinese submarines back in July 2015, and it's an 11-year purchase program, so we might have to wait a decade before we hear from envious neighbours in awe of Thailand's "muscular" fleet.

Edited by tropo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

They finally tell the truth and it makes them seem even more ridiculous.

Who will be in Awe? The voices in their heads..

 

Not Pakistan. They signed up for 8 of the same subs and will build 4 in Pakistan. That contract is $5 billion. Also over 10 years before all subs are delivered.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote

Thailand will buy submarines "not for battle, but so that others will be in awe of us," 

No, Thailand will buy submarines so the regime can go on clandestine get-away trips to Hawaii, without reporter asking to justify overpriced bills and finding out about CCPs (civilian companion personnel).

Edited by klauskunkel
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Truly unbelievable, that,s the guy who has been running the country what a statement.

reminds me of the lady from a small rice farming village had to get a nice big Ford

3 litre pickup for her Papa it sat in the front of her house her Papa could,nt drive it

because he could not read or write therefore not able to get a license .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, webfact said:

'... Thailand will buy submarines "not for battle, but so that others will be in awe of us," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the nation's former military chief and current head of its ruling junta, said at a 2016 press conference.'

He really said that? Ludicrous in the extreme, both the cost, simply to be able to seem awesome, and the idea that he should even think that that will be other countries' reaction.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, daveAustin said:

 

:cheesy::cheesy::cheesy:

 

Who is others: North Korea, Burma? Stroll on. That one phrase right there says everything that is wrong with this part of the world. I would be quite surprised, not awed, if you could build your own Vanguard-class nuke subs, let alone making do with the Chinese's poxy diesel-powered cast-offs. 

 

6 hours ago, canuckamuck said:
7 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand will buy submarines "not for battle, but so that others will be in awe of us,"

They finally tell the truth and it makes them seem even more ridiculous.

Who will be in Awe? The voices in their heads..

And according to Army General and Prime Minister Prayut "THAI" language will soon replace English as #1 Language around the world.......

Another 'Face' enhancer for the Thai's....... Did you read that article recently??????

His rational was that since their language has 44 characters (plus how many vowels) (and he himself knows the language well) and some words can be used for several different meanings, The Thai language would fit the needs of the world better (at least in his opinion)...............

Do I detect a bit of an inferiority complex when some body is trying to make themselves (and country) 'look better' than THEY think it already may look???????

God Bless Thailand........ It is a SHIP in troubled waters and the man at the helm is more than 'questionable'.

A country that has an aircraft carrier (without airplanes) and thinks that they will cause other nations to be 'awe-struck' when they own submarines (likely without torpedos) LOL.........

My post is only offered as 'food for thought' and is only my own opinion that I am sharing........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, jesimps said:

I'd be more in awe if the junta did something to reduce road deaths.

 

I am 100% in agreement.....................  And I think your post 'Hits where it is HURTING'.........

And 'God Bless Thailand'............... They need it..................

Road deaths will continue but other countries like 'Burma' will be in 'awe' of Thailand because they have some 'submarines' (however in-effective they may be).............

Brings to mind false fingernails, false eye-lashes, enhanced boobs, fake smiles, etc........

It's not what you wake up to the next morning as you are sobering-up........

FORGET submarines and spend that money on "Thai people's SAFETY"...... ON THE THAI HIWAYS'''.......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is the military strategic purpose here?
Who is to be frightened?
Illegal fishing boots?
This could be done 100 times cheaper with speed boats.

In a military dispute, these technically obsolete submarines are immediately gone.
Enemies  need only a single modern helicopter that throws a few locating buoys and a small anti - submarine cruiser throwing the charges.
Waste of taxpayers money here.
Also does not make any military sense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What? Criticism against the military, again? Even when they tell the truth? LOL Of course these (old generation, obsolete) submarines are not 'for battle', they are Chinese, and tiny little brother Thailand won't engage into any military operation ever against mighty big brother China they come from! As a (new) vassal state, Thailand wouldn't dare anyway, could it...? And in the meantime, in the South China Sea, the imperialistic China goes on reinforcing its military build-up... ASEAN? What ASEAN...? ...Which 'brothers in arms'?

Edited by bangrak
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

No, Thailand will buy submarines so the regime can go on clandestine get-away trips to Hawaii, without reporter asking to justify overpriced bills and finding out about CCPs (civilian companion personnel).

'klaukunkel': Do you mean the Chinese subs for Thailand will have a first class with windows, and serve caviar and goose liver with champagne, with special private compartments too, waow!? LOL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.










×
×
  • Create New...