Chinese S-26T Submarine

Thailand has selected China to build and supply three Submarines costing US$1.066 billion.

The Thai Naval procurement committee of 17 voted to buy three Chinese submarines, saying that it was the ‘best value for money’, Bangkok Post reported Today.

“China won the bid as it offered submarines equipped with superior weaponry and technology and the ability to stay longer underwater,” it quoted an unnamed source as saying.

The cost of the three subs is said to be 12 billion Baht each (US$355 million).

The rest of the Submarine procurement will be split between Germany and South Korea. The navy also received offers from Russia, Sweden and France. The Thai navy intends to procure six submarines in the medium.

Thailand intends to rebuild its submarine fleet and feels that submarines are once again important for its defense due to heightened disputes in South-China Sea although Thailand itself has no territorial claims in the sea.

The decision to award the contract to China has not yet been made official. Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwon was quoted as saying that he would forward to the cabinet the navy's submarine procurement decision once it becomes available.

This will be Thailand’s first submarine procurement in 60 years. The last submarines had been decommissioned in 1951.