Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post
He warned Cambodia may well obtain submarines before Thailand as it can rely on its alliances with "superpowers".
Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat yesterday vowed to re-examine the navy's plan to buy submarines.
On his first day in office at the Defence Ministry, ACM Sukumpol said he would continue to push for the implementation of incomplete plans and projects, including the submarine purchase.
"We will look at it. The navy must explain to the public why the submarine purchase is an appropriate project," ACM Sukumpol said. The minister also told navy chief Adm Surasak Roonroengrom to clarify details of the submarine project to the cabinet and the public.
The navy had planned to buy six second-hand submarines from Germany.
However, as the cabinet has not yet approved the plan, Germany has since sold two of the submarines to Colombia. The navy now hopes to buy the remaining four subs for 5.5 billion baht.
"If the navy had submarines, the balance of military power in the region would change," a navy source said.
He warned Cambodia may well obtain submarines before Thailand as it can rely on its alliances with "superpowers".
8 comments:
Vietnamese government bought 6 submarines from Russia last year cost $2 billions. Thai needed to protecting their coast from the Viet invasion.
Thailand , go ahead with your defense upgrade, you need it, not to fight bhudist Cambodia, as Cambodia poses no threat to you, but if Cambodia is swallowed up, then it will pose a big threat to your national security. So be alert and be prepared.
Yea right. No one realizes how sophisticate it is to operate and possess submarine, let alone the cost of maintenance, trainings, and linguistic base facility for operation. Lack of experience and mishaps of encroach into neighbors maritime will incite disaster outcomes. Our GDP is $24B(Thai $680B,Vietnam $250B)and live on handouts from donors, I don't think Hun Sen is eager to jump in such hasty scenario. All we could afford now are toy subs that navigates fish tank. And that isn't a joke.
Vietnam acquired diesel kilo-subs from Russia to prevent China's subs from spying and navigating near its borders. Hanoi ordered the several subs a few years back and just arrived recently. The intensify around the depute islets unpredictably will clash between the China/Vietnam navy with US scheme of pretext. Today, the Chinese PLA Navy with advance and sophisticate technology submarines will easily decimate the Vietnam navy force off the water.
Thai is a handful of nation possesses an Aircraft Carrier; and any addition of underwater craft will only enhancing it military might in protect its maritime in Gulf of Thailand from China and arch-rival Vietnam. Actually, news of Thai ambition of submarine come at no abrupt surprise in time when most ASEAN country now are racing to arm-buildups in recent months after Obama policy of return to Asia. The Thai well aware of Vietnamese beyond uncle Ho's Indochina Federation ideology, and by having subs throw in the mix with carrier could dissuade Vietnam from enter her back yard. The cold-war era in Asia now is at full speed!!!
Correction: predictably
Do we have money to buy any submarine too
The submarines Thailand wanted to buy from Germany were built during World War II. Let them invade Cambodia with those submarines. Cambodia is not a thread, but Vietnam is.
Let Thai do it, to keep up these sub make the more weak.
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