Local news

Submarine deal approved now awaiting cabinet go-ahead: Phumtham

  By TV Channel 7, Naewna newspapepr and Thai Newsroom Reporters NEWLY-APPOINTED Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said upon bidding farewell to the Defence Ministry today (July 2) that he has approved the navy’s long-delayed plan to buy a Chinese-built S26T submarine with this now to be tabled to the cabinet for final approval.

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Navy’s Chinese submarine project still undergoing ‘viability study’

  By Thai Newsroom Reporters DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER-cum-Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said today (Nov. 27) the navy’s long-delayed project to buy a Chinese-built submarine is as yet being put on hold, pending a “viability study” on it. Phumtham said the navy’s plan to procure the 12.4 billion baht, Yuan-class S26T submarine without a German-made engine

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Admirals on edge over political factor in Chinese submarine project

  By Thai Newsroom Reporters ANXIETY AND DOUBT have prevailed among commanding admirals over the political factor in a long-delayed scheme for the navy to buy a Chinese-built S26T submarine with a Chinese-made engine, a navy source said over the weekend. Those admirals apparently feared Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, widely known as a right-hand man

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Chinese submarine purchase plan to be finalised sooner than later

  By Thai Newsroom Reporters DEFENCE MINISTER PHUMTHAM Wechayachai confirmed last night (Oct. 25) the navy’s long-delayed plan to buy a Chinese-built S26T submarine will be finalised sooner than later. Phumtham said the navy’s plan to buy the Yuan-class S26T submarine from China Shipbuilding & Offshore International with a Chinese-made engine to be installed aboard

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Suthin cannot confirm if Chinese submarine deal will get cabinet green light soon

  By Thai Newsroom Reporters DEFENCE MINISTER SUTHIN Khlangsang said today (July 8) he was uncertain whether the navy’s Chinese-built submarine purchase plan will pass final approval of the cabinet of ministers as soon as some time this month. According to the Pheu Thai-attached defence minister, whether the navy’s plan to purchase the Yuan-class S26T

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Hearsay of Chinese submarine being sold to Indonesia not Thailand refuted

  By Thai Newsroom Reporters THE THAI NAVY has categorically dismissed hearsay that China has finally planned to build and sell a troublesome submarine to Indonesia in lieu of Thailand. Assistant navy chief Adm Chonlathit Navanukroh confirmed over the weekend the Yuan-class S26T submarine currently manufactured by China’s Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co will undoubtedly

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PM shrugs off Navy Chief’s concern over delayed Chinese submarine purchase

  By Thai Newsroom Reporters PRIME MINISTER SRETTHA Thavisin today (July 3) shrugged off Navy Chief Adm Adung Pan-iam’s expressed concern over a sustained delay in the navy’s Chinese-built submarine purchase plan, pending a final cabinet approval. In the presence of reporters, Defence Minister Suthin Khlangsang verbally confirmed to the prime minister that he has

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Navy Chief worried about govt delay over Chinese-built submarine purchase

  By Thai Newsroom Reporters NAVY CHIEF ADM ADUNG Pan-iam today (July 2) expressed concern over a sustained delay in a final approval from the Pheu Thai-led government for the navy’s contentious plan to buy a Chinese-built submarine. Adm Adung was responding to news reports that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin had been worried about some

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Thai Navy admirals bow to China while keeping Defence Minister at bay: Academic

  By Thai Newsroom Reporters THAI NAVY ADMIRALS have ultimately succumbed to China whilst Thai Defence Minister Suthin Khlangsang has obviously capitulated to their whims over the long-delayed procurement of a submarine with a “low-quality” engine from the Asian superpower, concluded a noted academic today (May 24). Chulalongkorn University’s political scientist Prof. Emer. Surachart Bamrungsuk

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Navy might get both submarine and frigate next fiscal year: Suthin

  By Thai Newsroom Reporters .THE NAVY MIGHT PROBABLY procure two major warships, a submarine and a frigate, together within the next fiscal year, said Defence Minister Suthin Khlangsang today (Apr. 5). Suthin said although negotiations with China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co, manufacturer of a Yuan-class S26T submarine, have not yet concluded following a

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Defence Minister, Navy Chief leave for China to wrap up submarine deal

  By Thai Newsroom Reporters DEFENCE MINISTER SUTHIN Khlangsang and Navy Chief Adm. Adung Pan-iam have quietly departed for China to conclude the trouble-plagued, Chinese-built submarine purchase deal, a government official said today (Mar. 26). According to the official at Government House, the civilian cabinet member and navy chief flew together to China yesterday in

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Navy not lobbying ministers over Chinese submarine: Suthin

  By Thai Newsroom Reporters DEFENCE MINISTER SUTHIN Khlangsang today (Jan.10) categorically denied that the navy has quietly lobbied prominent members of cabinet for the planned procurement of a troublesome Chinese-built submarine. Suthin said admirals would certainly have conducted sort of lobbyism with him among other unnamed members of cabinet if such unconfirmed hearsay was

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Thailand, China to hold unofficial talks on submarine-frigate tradeoff

  By Thai Newsroom Reporters THAILAND IS ANTICIPATING unofficial talks next week with China in bid to trade off a submarine already purchased by the Thai navy for a frigate, Defence Minister Suthin Khlangsang said today (Nov.2). Thai high-level defence officials and their Chinese counterparts are expected to hold the unofficial talks over the proposed

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Submarine deal won’t be scrapped at expense of other agreements: Suthin

  By Thai Newsroom Reporters DEFENCE MINISTER SUTHIN Khlangsang said today (Oct.24) bilateral cooperation and relationship between Thailand and China would be undesirably affected as a whole if a troublesome Chinese-built submarine deal was scrapped. Suthin said China has already agreed to provide cooperation and assistance to Thailand during a recent visit to that country

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