Sailors look at a model of a submarine to be delivered to Vietnam. (Photo : Reuters)
Thailand has agreed to buy three submarines from China for $1 billion, its defense minister confirmed on Tuesday, June 28, the Global Times reported.
Defense Minister Prawit Wonsuwon told the Bangkok Post on Friday, July 1, that the Thai government will buy the Chinese submarines for a reasonable price that will be paid on a 10-year payment period, adding that the plan had been delayed for almost eight years.
Prawit said that Thailand would need the submarines for its marine resources in the Andaman Sea, as neighboring countries like Myanmar had recently bought 10 submarines.
"Since many Southeast Asian countries have been rapidly developing their naval forces, Thailand's purchase is a move to modernize its own. It (Thailand) does not want to be left behind," according to Zhang Junshe, a researcher at the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Naval Military Studies Research Institute.
Thailand has also thought of buying submarines from Germany or South Korea in recent years, but the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) chose China's Yuan-class (Type 041) instead, a report released by Jane's Navy International in July 2015 showed.
According to the report, Thailand has designated the submarine as S26T (Thailand), in reference to the modified export version of the Yuan-class. The first S26T will be delivered to the RTN within six to seven years.
"The Chinese submarine is equipped with advanced technologies but is reasonably priced. Compared with other countries, China can provide favorable after-sale services," Zhang said.
Most of Thailand's military equipment was bought from the U.S., which had long stopped manufacturing certain types of submarine, adding that "the U.S. now only produces nuclear submarines, and most of them are not for export," Zhang said.
According to Zhang, Thailand's neighboring countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam buy ships from countries in Western Europe such as France, Germany and the Netherlands.
