Thailand approves $393-mln purchase of Chinese submarines

[wakeupplease]

5 hours ago, anotheruser said:

Can you imagine you are involved with a navy anywhere in the world that has a half serious naval program? You have a Thai submarine stalking you. What do you do? 

Pi>> myself laughing as before they left port we would know where they where and that would be in port in what they think would be safety, no way would they stick their noises outside the harbor if they knew a viet sub was within 100 miles and US or UK they would be in the hills.

[webfact]

Cabinet approves purchase of Bt13.5-bn submarine from China
By The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- THE CABINET has approved a Navy proposal to buy a Yuan-class submarine from China for Bt13.5 billion, a government source said yesterday.

 

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan quietly put the proposal to Cabinet for a decision last week and instructed the Navy Commander Admiral Na Arreenich to finalise the purchasing contract with the designated Chinese manufacturer soon.

 

The military government had planned to purchase three Yuan-class S26T submarines at a total cost of Bt36 billion. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said earlier that Thailand had been offered a “buy two, get three” deal with China, complete with various weapons systems and after-sales services.

 

However, the Cabinet last week actually approved only the purchase of one  submarine initially, with a budget of Bt13.5 billion, including weapons systems, spare parts and technology transfer.

 

But no official could give any details on the deal.

 

Government Spokesperson Lt-General Sansern Kaewkam-nerd said he had no information regarding approval of the submarine deal.

 

“It is part of the security agenda, which is usually considered confidential to the Cabinet,” he said. “It would not be included in a press briefing after the Cabinet meeting.”

 

However, Prawit’s adviser Patitan Wattanayagorn said the deputy prime minister would today tell the public about the proposal and approval of the submarine.

 

“China attaches much importance to this project, so we have to be careful not to say anything about this matter,” he told reporters.

 

The S26T will be the Thai Navy’s first submarine since the end of World War II. Thailand procured its first submarines from Japan in 1937, but they were decommissioned more than 50 years ago.

 

The China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) will be the likely main contractor for the Thailand-bound submarine, which will take six years to build. If the contract is secured, Thailand will become the company’s second foreign customer after Pakistan.

 

Earlier this month, the Cabinet approved the purchase of another 10 Chinese-made tanks at a cost of Bt2 billion.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30313247

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-25

[davehowden]

5 hours ago, worgeordie said:

This has been on,off,on off, more times than my underpants,

These Submarines are used,hope the Chinese change the

labels on the controls to Thai, as there could be mayhem.

 

Would you buy a 2nd hand Sub off a Chinese.

regards worgeordie

Or even a secondhand car!

[harada]

I can see huge tourism potential here, people from up north can catch the high speed train down to see the subs by means of USS Arizona type viewing platforms.

[Thaiwrath]

Good to see the Government has it's priorities in order.

Easy to see how these surveys (?) amongst the people, show what a great job the powers that be are doing !

[alfalfa19]

What a joke.  Too bad it's not humorous by any stretch of the imagination. 

[JAG]

Follow the money.  exactly where will this or other subs be based?  Gulf of Thailand?  West coast of Thailand?  In what port(s)?  What facilities will it need?  Who will provide the support logistics, the food service contract, the onboard foo supplies, etc.

Where will they be based?

Near Bangkok of course. You yourself said "follow the money"...

[Mickmouse1]

What for? Or to arrest and fine foreign divers ?????

[mtls2005]

Evidently this purchase was approved by the cabinet in secret, but assume some in power see the folly and leaked the decision.

 

The terms of the purchase seem to be changing; most recently the PM was crowing about buying two subs and getting one free.

[GaryB1263]

The Gulf of Thailand averages only 80 meters in depth. Unbelieveable.

[worgeordie]

6 minutes ago, GaryB1263 said:

The Gulf of Thailand averages only 80 meters in depth. Unbelieveable.

Thats OK, i think they will only be bobbing about at periscope depth.so they can see where

they are going.

regards worgeordie

Edited April 25, 2017 by worgeordie
add on

[tonywillo]

Money would have been better put towards extraditing Taksin back home........ Or maybe that's part of the sub deal? 

[little mary sunshine]

Because the Thai people are so well off in

their senior years, the schools are all in 

excellent repair, Qualified, excellent, teachers,

Excellent Government Hospitals, debt free...

 

Surplus funds are being used to buy these

submarines....

[Ricardo]

38 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Evidently this purchase was approved by the cabinet in secret, but assume some in power see the folly and leaked the decision.

 

The terms of the purchase seem to be changing; most recently the PM was crowing about buying two subs and getting one free.

 

They ought to have asked for the 'free' one to be delivered first, tried it out for a few years, and then cancelled the plans for the second & third ones !

[Ahab]

11 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

"Thai people can rest assured that the navy's submarine spending will be worth it and beneficial to Thailand," Jumpol told Reuters."

 

Trust me...enough said...actually Thailand really does need submarines..(sic)...especially old Chinese units...........but whatever.....the commissions must be worth the purchases;)..
 

I agree Thailand doesn't need them, but the Yuan is not an "old Chinese unit" it is a modern, quiet, stealthy diesel submarine. The price with spare parts, training facilities, etc. will likely double or triple the price quoted in the article.

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, JAG said:

Where will they be based?

Near Bangkok of course. You yourself said "follow the money"...

 

The RTN has already completed a sub base at Sattahip. They've had a German "simulator" - they wanted to buy German subs previously - for a few years.

[klauskunkel]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand approves $393-mln purchase of Chinese submarines

The media were not told about the purchase following a cabinet meeting last week because it was a matter of national security, he added.

So, this week the "national security matter" is... uhm, ... matterless?

Edited April 25, 2017 by klauskunkel

[wirat69]

Ahhh.... the Hub of Subs!!!!

 

   

[mok199]

'''the retarded children they are''....next it will be thailands ''space race''....

[jabis]

14 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

Follow the money.  exactly where will this or other subs be based?  Gulf of Thailand?  West coast of Thailand?  In what port(s)?  What facilities will it need?  Who will provide the support logistics, the food service contract, the onboard foo supplies, etc.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/07/thailand-new-naval-base-submarines 

"Thailand's navy inaugurated a £10m headquarters and training centre for its submarine squadron on Monday, even though it has no subs to command.

The squadron and its facilities, including a submarine simulator from Germany, were established at an existing naval base in Sattahip, east of Bangkok, on the Gulf of Thailand.

The navy, which has had no submarines since 1951, has been trying to acquire some for years but has faced budgetary restraints.

Edited April 25, 2017 by metisdead
Edited as per fair use policy.

[NCC1701A]

"OK men, listen up. Welcome to Submarine Detection 101. Today we will play back a recording of the noisiest and easiest submarine to track, the Thai navy's Chinese made subs."

[HOAX]

What we know will follow:

- Corruption
- Multiple news article asking the suspects to come in for questioning
- Suspects ends up abroad
- 7 year trials without content
- Case vanishes
- A few years later a son or daughter goes in father's footstep...


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Dino 308]

No other country in the world has U-turns on highways, everyone builds separated exits/flyovers. Hundreds of lives could be saved if the government spent their money on upgrading road safety instead of toys for the military.

[Happyman58]

10 hours ago, uptheos said:

Better check for leaks before shelling out the cash.

Old subs Hospitals in bad shape Roads in bad shape  police Force really needs training and new cars and they can find 400 million to buy old subs The chinese must be laughing at them They were probly going to scrap them anyway Sad day for Thailand

[jabis]

1 minute ago, Happyman58 said:

Old subs Hospitals in bad shape Roads in bad shape  police Force really needs training and new cars and they can find 400 million to buy old subs The chinese must be laughing at them They were probly going to scrap them anyway Sad day for Thailand

They will build the subs new - no need to cheapskate, being the manufacturing might of the world :)

 

The model though is ancient, so it's like polishing a turd, and stripping it off of everything valuable, then shipping it off with a hefty price tag - so same same but different x) Though I guess if the previous govt would have followed thru with the German subs, the outcry would've toppled the - at the time - govt, since all the expenditure for the naval base upgrades etc was seen as a waste alltogether.

[johng]

[harada]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

 

The RTN has already completed a sub base at Sattahip. They've had a German "simulator" - they wanted to buy German subs previously - for a few years.

German simulator for a Chinese sub, I don't think I'll be booking a ticket on the maiden voyage, it's got that Titanic feel about it. 

[toofarnorth]

A couple of thoughts. Will they be called Faith , Hope and Charity , fine names.

Top of the range cars don't come with spare parts , oh and will they come with seat belts ?

[jabis]

22 minutes ago, harada said:

German simulator for a Chinese sub, I don't think I'll be booking a ticket on the maiden voyage, it's got that Titanic feel about it. 

" On 2 July 2015, the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) formally selected China's Yuan-class (Type 041) platform to meet a requirement for three submarines. The RTN's procurement committee voted unanimously in favour of purchasing the submarine, which has been designated S26T (Thailand), a modified export version of the Yuan-class.[12] On 1 July 2016, the RTN submitted a funding plan for its 36 billion baht submarine procurement project to the cabinet for consideration with the expenditure to be spread over 11 years. If approved, the first submarine would be bought for 13 billion baht between fiscal years 2017-2021. The second and third submarines would be purchased during the remainder of the 11-year period."

 

"Export variant: S20
At IDEX-2013, China revealed a scaled-down version of Type 039A submarine designated as S20, specially intended for export. The main difference between S20 and Type 039A is that the AIP system on the original Type 039A is deleted, but can be available and easily integrated due to modular design of S20, if potential customers choose to purchase AIP systems separately. Due to its modular design, a variety of sensors and weapons can also be easily adopted up on customers' requests"

 

So it's a stripped down variant of the diesel powered "flag sub" without any bells, nor whistles, up for upgrades should the client want some. Cashcow that never stops giving ...

 

EDIT: From OP;
"The cabinet approved one submarine purchase on April 18," spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd told Reuters, adding that a budget of 13.5 billion baht ($393 million) has been earmarked for the Yuan Class S26T submarine over a six-year period."
I wonder why the budget has been upped 4.5 billion baht since the original agreement - or then I don't - more benz to be had x)

Edited April 25, 2017 by jabis

[MeHere]

393 million sounds pretty damn cheap for 3 submarines... they must be made in china 555