Submarine purchase deal with China ongoing and Thailand will not break their contract although the submarines have no engines, Thai PM confirms

PHOTO: Thaipost

Bangkok –

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O’Cha said that the purchase deal of submarines with China was ongoing and still has time for engine procurement after they insisted to purchase the submarines currently without “engines”.

In April, the government insisted on buying a 13.5-billion-baht submarine from China Shipbuilding & Offshore International without Germany’s MTU396 diesel engines despite the fact that the German company had stopped exporting its engines to China due to the country’s use for military purposes.

The issue was brought into discussion in a debate again today by government oppositional parties. The Prime Minister stated in response that the purchase deal is still in line with the contract which still has 60 days remaining to complete the purchase.

“No one would buy a submarine without engines, we will find and procure them” he added.

TPN media notes that the ongoing submarine saga has driven significant attention from Thai social media with many netizens feeling the purchase is not needed.

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Nop Meechukhun
National News Writer at The Pattaya News from September 2020 to October, 2022. Born and raised in Bangkok, Nop enjoys telling stories of her hometown through her words and pictures. Her educational experience in the United States and her passion for journalism have shaped her genuine interests in society, politics, education, culture, and art.