News Story: Thailand, China vow to push forward all-round development of military ties

BANGKOK, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Thailand and China pledged here Tuesday to joint hands to push forward the all-round development of the military relations between the two countries.

While meeting with Fang Fenghui, a member of China's Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of the Joint Staff Department under the CMC, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that the kingdom is ready to learn China's experiences on reform, dovetail its national development strategy with the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and deepen cooperation with China in all sectors.

The Thai prime minister said the kingdom is also willing to enhance high-level exchanges and boost cooperation in joint training on counter-terrorism with China.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: Bangkok, Beijing Sign Contract on Delivery of First Submarine to Thailand

Thailand and China have signed a contract on the delivery of the first of three submarines that Thailand's naval forces plan to purchase from Beijing over the course of the next 11 years, media reported Friday.

BANGKOK (Sputnik) — According to the Bangkok Post newspaper, the representatives of the Royal Thai Navy and Chinese state enterprise China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co (CSOC) signed the document in Beijing. China introduced no changes to the version of the contract, which was edited by the Thai attorney-general, the daily added.

Under the contract, Thailand will buy three Yuan Class S26T submarines worth a total of around 36 billion baht ($1 billion), with 700 million baht ($20.2 million) due to be paid within 45 days. The first submarine is expected to be delivered within six years. China also agreed to provide CM-708 missiles, which can be fired from the submarine over a range of 290 kilometers (180 miles), free of charge.

On April 18, Thailand’s cabinet of ministers approved, in secrecy, the decision to acquire a 13.5 billion baht ($390 million) submarine from China and two more over the next 11 years. As a result, a large number of activists, politicians and members of society raised concerns over the impact of the submarine purchases on the national economy and defense budget, as the deal may deprive the country of its military budget in case of emergencies, while the expediency of the submarines in general were also questioned. On April 28, local media reported that Thailand’s Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) decided to launch a probe into the Royal Thai Navy’s plans to purchase three submarines from China due to the strong criticism which came after the deal was struck upon the petition of one of the activists.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

News Report: Trump Invite to Thai Leader May Signal New Era

Ron Corben

BANGKOK — Bilateral relations between the United States and Thailand, after what analysts view as a "lost decade," have entered a "new era" following the recent contact by President Donald Trump and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

In his telephone conversation with Prayut, the White House said President Trump highlighted the long standing alliance between the U.S. and Thailand and a "shared interest in strengthening the trade and economic ties between the two countries."

Trump, in a formal invitation to Prayut to visit the White House, also "reaffirmed" the U.S. commitment to an "active and leading role in Asia" in close partnership with the region.

Readjustment in US-Thai relations

The contact marked a major thawing in bilateral ties after Thailand faced diplomatic isolation over the military's intervention in politics over the past decade.

The U.S. administration under President Barack Obama had been critical of Thailand's human rights policies by the military since it took power in May 2014, with the suppression of public debate and bans on political activities.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, said Thailand was keen to take up the offer of the U.S. re-establishing links.

News Story: Thai junta defends 'cheap' $393 mn Chinese sub purchase

The Thai junta on Tuesday defended $393 million earmarked for a Chinese submarine, batting back criticism of the secrecy of the deal, its cost and the questionable utility of the warship.

The submarine sale is the latest defence deal between Beijing and Bangkok, who have grown ever closer since Thailand's 2014 coup.

Historically the Southeast Asian kingdom has been a major purchaser of western arms, especially from its traditional Cold War ally the United States.

But since the coup, which strained ties with the West, there has been a run of windfalls for China with Thailand scooping up several dozen Beijing-built tanks and inking plans to buy three submarines in total -- a purchase that will amount to $1 billion.

Talks are also underway for China to construct a multi-million dollar armaments and military hardware repair facility in Thailand.

Read the full story at SpaceWar

News Story: Thailand approves US$393m purchase of Chinese submarines

[BANGKOK] Thailand's Cabinet has approved the first of three planned submarine purchases from China worth US$393 million, a government spokesman said on Monday.

The plan to buy the three Chinese-built submarines worth 36 billion baht (S$1.46 billion) was confirmed in July, signalling warming ties with the regional superpower since relations with the United States cooled after a May 2014 military coup.

The first submarine purchase was approved last week. "The Cabinet approved one submarine purchase on April 18,"spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd told Reuters, adding that a budget of 13.5 billion baht has been earmarked for the Yuan Class S26T submarine over a six-year period.

The media were not told about the purchase following a Cabinet meeting last week because it was a matter of national security, he added.

Public criticism and questions have arisen as to whether Thailand really needs new submarines. "In the current situation, where the government cannot successfully solve economic problems, buying expensive submarines is completely unnecessary," Watchara Petchthong, a politician with the Democrat Party, told Reuters.

Read the full story at Business Times