Thai navy seeks approval to buy first submarines in 65 years

BANGKOK – Thailand’s navy will seek Cabinet approval to purchase its first submarines in 65 years, the country’s defence minister said Friday.

Prawit Wongsuwan, who is also deputy prime minister, said the submarines will cost 36 billion baht ($1 billion) in total, with payments to be made over 10 years. He said the first of the Chinese-made Yuan class S26T submarines will be purchased out of the 2017 budget.

Thailand’s military seized power in a May 2014 coup. The purchase of such a major weapons system from China has political as well as defence ramifications because the ruling junta has sought closer relations with China to balance traditional close ties with the United States, which has been critical of Thailand’s turn away from democracy.

The navy has been seeking to buy submarines for almost a decade, having decommissioned its last subs in 1951. In recent years, it has also considered buying submarines from Germany or South Korea. A 540 million baht ($15 million) submarine base and training centre was inaugurated in July 2014.

When the navy revived its plan last year, it delayed submitting it to the Cabinet after widespread criticism that it would be wasteful, and that the Gulf of Thailand is too shallow for submarines to operate efficiently.

Prawit said submarines would be useful because Thailand has resources in the Andaman Sea to protect and because neighbouring countries are also acquiring them.