Thailand delays acquisition of 2 additional submarines from China

The Type 039 Yuan-class subamrine, used as the basis for the S26T for the RTN. Photo c/o Defpost.

The Thai government has announced that it is delaying the acquisition a second and third attack submarines worth THB22.5 billion (US$720 million) from China, with the 7-year funding program said to be pushed back to 2022.

This is after public backlash as the country’s opposition raised the timing of the purchase when the country’s economy has gone down due COVID-19 pandemic effects.

In the original plan, the Thai government was supposed to allocate more than THB3 billion to the project under fiscal year 2021 as initial payment .

The Thai government said that it will re-negotiate with China to move the procurement to 2022, which also means pushing back the planned delivery date beyond 2024.

The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has already ordered one submarine based on the Yuan-class diesel-electric attack submarine of the People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN), designated as the S26T, in a deal signed in 2017.

The two additional submarines are part of the plan to order a total of three submarines as part of Thailand’s defense strategy as its neighbours like Myanmar have started adding submarines into its fleet.


[1] Nikkei Asian Review
[2] CNA