PUBLISHED: 28 Mar 2024 at 13: 54
According to a military origin, the Chinese govt has reportedly agreed to provide the Thai navy with two patrol boats or a warship instead of a underwater.
The agreement was reached, according to the cause, which was disclosed on Thursday during Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang’s latest trip to China. Adm Adung Phan-iam and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Jakkapong Sangmanee were among his committee. The journey concluded on Wednesday.
According to the cause, China has accepted Thailand’s plan to acquire either two onshore police warships or one ship, as opposed to a underwater. The military’s instalments for the underwater over the past six decades, totaling 8 billion rmb, will be used to pay for this arrangement. But, the relevant authorities are yet to make any final decisions regarding this shift.
China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co ( CSOC), which was given the contract to build the submarine in accordance with a government-to-government (G-to-G) agreement, has been concerned by the order change. The submarine was reported to be 50 % completed.
After Mr. Sutin, who was the coalition’s key Pheu Thai Party, was elected defense secretary in September of last year, he announced the following month that the navy’s purchase plan for a submarine from China had been abandoned and that he should rather seek out a warship from China. China’s failure to place a German engine in the ordered submarine contributed to this decision.
The classic deal, signed in 2017 for the S26T Yuan- group underwater, stipulated a European- made oil engine. But, Germany forbids the use of these engines in Chinese military and defense equipment. Thus, Beijing proposed a Foreign- made motor as an alternative.