"submarine"

The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has denied speculation its deal with a Chinese submarine maker would be cancelled or revised, as the company is unable to acquire the German-made diesel engines stipulated in the purchase contract.

The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) on Thursday began talks with a Chinese submarine builder to find a solution over the manufacturer’s failure to obtain German-made diesel engines as stipulated in the purchase contract.

The Pheu Thai Party has asked the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) to explain why a Chinese language teacher is listed among Chinese military engineers deployed to build a submarine base in Chonburi province.

The Royal Thai Navy said on Thursday that it has postponed talks with submarine manufacturer China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co (CSOC) to early May because of China’s strict Covid-19 restrictions on foreign arrivals.

The Royal Thai Navy is expected to make a decision on the Chinese submarine deal by the end of this month.

Thailand will not buy the China-made submarine without the MTU396 diesel engine from Germany as specified in the contract, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced on Monday.

U.S. President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden presided over the ceremonial commissioning of the USS Delaware, a nuclear-powered submarine at the Port of Wilmington on Saturday (April 2).

A 1989 European Union (EU) arms embargo imposed on China is behind Germany’s refusal to supply engines to be fitted in a submarine built in China for the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), an American media outlet reported recently.

The Royal Thai Navy will insist that China must honour the contract to acquire German diesel engines for the submarines being purchased by Thailand.

Opposition Pheu Thai Party brought up the issue of Thailand’s acquisition of submarines from China again on Sunday by claiming it was suspicious and lacked transparency.

The Royal Thai Navy said on Saturday that China has offered to deliver two Song-class submarines after reportedly holding a discussion with a working team led by Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan.

The American nuclear submarine damaged last month in the South China Sea hit an uncharted seamount, USNI News reported, an explanation that would ease concerns that it had collided with a foreign vessel in the contested waterway.