The contract was signed in Beijing by RTN chief of staff, Vice Admiral Luechai Ruddit and Xu Ziqiu, chairman of the stated-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC). According to CSIC's official website, this is the company's second submarine export contract, after an eight-ship deal with Pakistan's navy in 2015.
"The submarines from China are the cheapest, with quality that is relatively acceptable. [China] also offers services after purchase, something extra that we have received," Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was quoted as saying by Nationmultimedia.com in March.
The S26T will be the RTN's first submarine since the end of World War II. Due to domestic politics and a budget shortage, the country delayed its plan to buy a submarine until China offered an unbeatable deal.
According to Nationmultimedia.com, the [boat] will be nearly 78 meters long and 9 meters wide. It will be equipped with the latest technology, including a AIP (Air Independent Propulsion) system, which will allow the ship to stay underwater for up to 21 days without resurfacing. Normal nuclear-based submarines can dive for around seven to 10 days at a time.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: On April 25, when the Thai government obtained parliamentary approval for the order, the contract was reported to be worth $393 million.
Thailand’s military government plans to buy three submarines in all, which would push the cost to well over $1 billion.)
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