By Prashanth Parameswaran
Bangkok’s long deferred submarine quest could face yet another delay.
On July 15, Thailand’s defense minister Prawit Wongsuwan said that Thailand has put a hold on its newly announced billion-dollar plan to purchase three submarines from China, threatening to once again defer the country’s dream of acquiring a capability it has lacked for more than six decades.
According to Xinhua, Prawit said that the navy’s submarine purchasing plan would “not be submitted to the cabinet for the time being pending thorough study.” His comments come just weeks after the Thai navy confirmed that it had selected Chinese submarines over others from Germany, South Korea, Sweden and Russia to give Bangkok its first submarine capability since 1951 (See: “How Did China Just Win Thailand’s New Submarine Bid?”).
For those who are well-acquainted with Thailand’s record on attempted submarine purchases, this looks all too familiar. As I have pointed out repeatedly, Thailand has tried since the 1990s to ink submarine deals with several countries – including most recently Germany and South Korea – but cost issues and internal differences have previously complicated and derailed plans (See: “Thailand Eyes Submarine Fleet”). Thailand’s past experience with submarines suggests that any renewed efforts in this direction ought to be viewed with caution.
Read the full story at The Diplomat