Thai Navy to buy three Chinese submarines

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HHTel
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Re: Thai Navy to buy three Chinese submarines

Post by HHTel »

They can't even equip their 'Police Force' (each policeman has to buy their own equipment). Purchases of this nature are, as has been said 'Toys for Boys'. Nothing more.
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Re: Thai Navy to buy three Chinese submarines

Post by stretch »

Chinese built they go down ok do they come up again or are they just American copies
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Re: Thai Navy to buy three Chinese submarines

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The gulf bering too shallow for them to submerge is probably a blessing. Having the Thai navy take them down below sea level would be a big mistake
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Re: Thai Navy to buy three Chinese submarines

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Navy wants 3 dockyards for submarines

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... submarines

CHON BURI: The Royal Thai Navy is preparing to build facilities for docking and repairing three new submarines it plans to buy from China, a navy source says.

One area eyed for the construction will be located in the compound of Mahidol Adulyadej Naval Dockyard, the source said, adding Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon was briefed on the details during his visit to the dockyard Monday.

The latest move reaffirms the navy's plan to acquire submarines, which has gained new life since the 2014 coup after the navy struggled for years to get governments to purchase six second-hand submarines from Germany.

The 40 rai area in Mahidol Adulyadej Naval Dockyard will house the repair and maintenance facility for the submarines.
The navy has already set its own 13.5-billion-baht budget to buy the first submarine and is now waiting for the cabinet to give a final thumbs-up, Gen Prawit said.

The cabinet is likely to give its approval this month for the purchase of a Chinese S26T submarine, a navy source said in January.
Progress on the submarine facility development satisfied Gen Prawit, who said the navy was acting for the sake of the country.

"In fact, the navy has long been ready to acquire submarines, but its plans were aborted following attacks by critics," he said.

Some said the Gulf of Thailand is too shallow for submarines, and the navy clarified that matter. "Yet some people still pretend they didn't understand," Gen Prawit said.

Submarines can be used for various purposes. One is an opportunity to "see and explore what is under our sea of 200 nautical miles", he said.

Gen Prawit, also Defence Minister, is among supporters of the submarine purchase.
He earlier said growing territorial threats and an increasing number of maritime missions has prompted the navy to strengthen its submarine units.

The navy has not had new submarines for more than 60 years. In 2011, it wanted to buy six German-made second-hand submarines at a cost of 7.7 billion baht, but the plan was shot down by the then Yingluck Shinawatra government.

Former defence minister Gen Yutthasak Sasiprapa also disagreed with the purchase, questioning its cost-effectiveness and transparency. In addition to criticism from opponents, political intervention was believed to be another factor setting back the plan.

Things improved for the navy after the 2014 coup. In 2015, a source quoted Gen Prawit as saying that if submarines were not bought by the current government, it would be difficult for the navy to get another chance.

The navy plans to buy three Chinese-made submarines at a cost of 36 billion baht. They will be stationed in both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.

Besides the maintenance facility at Mahidol Adulyadej Naval Dockyard, the navy also plans to build a submarine dockyard off the Sattahip coastline. The area will be a bay with a mountain in the background that will prevent submarines from being seen. WTF!

Because one of the three submarines must be on duty in the Andaman Sea, another dockyard is also planned in this area. The source said officers are considering a spot in Phangnga or Krabi.

Officers briefed Gen Prawit on the navy's research and development of its own vehicles to reduce its dependence on expensive exports. They include a two-seat naval aircraft costing about 5-7 million baht to make, about one or two times cheaper than a foreign aircraft, said R Adm Kritphon Rianglekchamnom, who leads a research team of this project.
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Re: Thai Navy to buy three Chinese submarines

Post by handdrummer »

Thailand needs these submarines because Botswana is planning to attack the kingdom within 2 yrs.
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Re: Thai Navy to buy three Chinese submarines

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Cabinet secretly approves purchase of China sub

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/securit ... -china-sub

The cabinet has approved a Royal Thai Navy plan to buy a submarine from China, a Defence Ministry spokesman said on Monday.

The approval was made during a cabinet meeting last Tuesday but was not publicly announced.

It involves the purchase of one Yuan Class submarine with the price tag of 13.5 billion baht with the budget earmarked for fiscal 2017-23, Maj Gen Kongcheep Tantrawanit said.

The navy aims to equip the naval fleet with three subs in 11 years, with the total price of 36 billion baht. They will be deployed in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.

The submarine approval was not published in the cabinet meeting minutes, normally published and posted on the government website after weekly meetings.

Maj Gen Kongcheep said the item was not on the meeting agenda.

"[The Defence Ministry] has no intention to hide the issue. It simply was not on the meeting agenda," he said.
"There are many decisions made by the cabinet that need not be announced," the spokesman added.

Government spokesman Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkumnerd, who normally briefs reporters after cabinet meetings, told a different story when asked about the purchase.

"The issue was not included in the briefing because the document was classified as top secret," Matichon Online quoted him as saying.
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Re: Thai Navy to buy three Chinese submarines

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Transparency is not a priority of the entities that are currently in charge in this country.

Let's hope that if Beijing is ever unhappy with anything on a wider scale, then they don't just flip a switch at military HQ in China, and these subs sink.

And before anyone gasps...the Thais don't have the tech know-how to check this one and it's not uncommon for technologically advanced nations to build in safety systems of such type so their customers don't become ememies.

...but then again, the elite here are all Chinese anyhow....so maybe OK.
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Re: Thai Navy to buy three Chinese submarines

Post by hhinner »

^^ No, no, no. Transparency is a priority. The PM said so. E.g. http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pm-pra ... nsparency/

Surely the reports of secretive cabinet decisions are fake news.

/Flippancy off.

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Re: Thai Navy to buy three Chinese submarines

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They must be laughing so hard in Beijing!
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Re: Thai Navy to buy three Chinese submarines

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handdrummer wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:09 pm Thailand needs these submarines because Botswana is planning to attack the kingdom within 2 yrs.
:shock: :thumb:
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Re: Thai Navy to buy three Chinese submarines

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Spitfire wrote: Mon Apr 24, 2017 8:39 pm Transparency is not a priority of the entities that are currently in charge in this country.

Let's hope that if Beijing is ever unhappy with anything on a wider scale, then they don't just flip a switch at military HQ in China, and these subs sink.

And before anyone gasps...the Thais don't have the tech know-how to check this one and it's not uncommon for technologically advanced nations to build in safety systems of such type so their customers don't become ememies.

...but then again, the elite here are all Chinese anyhow....so maybe OK.
Yes, China has to keep their neighbors to the south on a short leash in order to insure the safety, security and prosperity of the Middle Kingdom. :laugh:
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Re: Thai Navy to buy three Chinese submarines

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Thai army has more generals than US army and each of them wants his vessel..... Chuck Wao.
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Re: Thai Navy to buy three Chinese submarines

Post by handdrummer »

if they can't buy the submarines they could substitute burritos; they submerge just as well and are less expensive to maintain.
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Re: Thai Navy to buy three Chinese submarines

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Govt defends 'cheap' sub deal

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politic ... p-sub-deal

The military government has defended its decision to buy a 13.5-billion-baht Chinese submarine, saying it acted transparently and that the vessel is not only cheaper than other foreign competitors but comes with free missiles.

The cabinet approved the Royal Thai Navy's procurement of a Yuan-class S26T submarine from China on April 18, with the navy to pay out of its own coffers. The cabinet resolution was made public on Monday.

Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd, chief government spokesman, insists the submarine purchase was transparent, and that cabinet approval of the 13.56 billion baht deal wasn't withheld, but no one asked about it. (Post Today photo)

According to the broader plan, the navy will buy three Yuan-class subs costing a total of 36 billion baht in instalments over 11 years.

The administration has taken flak for not publicly announcing the decision in what critics say was an attempt to keep it out of the public eye. Others have questioned the quality of the Chinese submarines.

.......................>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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Re: Thai Navy to buy three Chinese submarines

Post by STEVE G »

This article makes a valid point, if these submarines are really required, why wasn't the cabinet meeting to buy them celebrated instead of covered up:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... t-over-sub
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