Thai Hunt For Frigates Approved, Submarine Deal With China Back On

THAILAND’s Cabinet has approved the planned procurements for the Royal Thai Navy, comprising two new frigates with a budget of and the change of engines for the RTN’s S26T Yuan-class submarine from China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Co(CSOC).

Armed with a budget of US$1.08 billion, the fiscal year of 2026 will see the RTN acquire one frigate for US$540 million. A committee is expected to be set up soon to select a design from five international companies consisting of companies from the Netherlands, South Korea, Germany, Spain and Italy. With a fleet of four frigates at this time, the RTN is expecting a need for eight frigates to maintain its presence in the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea.

For the long-delayed submarine procurement, the Cabinet approved amendments to the contract which encompasses the equipping of Chinese CHD620 engines in place of the German MTU 396 engines. On top of that, the delivery date was also extended. Thailand had previously signed a US$410 million deal in May of 2017 to purchase one submarine from China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Co(CSOC).

The submarine was supposed to be delivered to the RTN in 2023 but was stopped in its tracks by Germany’s embargo on the engine. Completion of the submarine reportedly stood at 80% with Thailand already releasing 63% of the payment amounting to US$227m as of March 2025.

Moreover, the RTN had already spent over US$29m to build infrastructure and facilities to accommodate the submarine, including docks, maintenance shipyards, torpedo warehouses and command and communication stations.

The CHD620 however is reportedly not meant to serve as an engine, merely as a submarine electric generator, the change was made in light of performance tests and reviews on the operational results of the engine which is also found on a similar class of submarines operated by the Pakistan Navy. The Chinese side was also said to have offered the RTN a submarine training simulator along with some spare parts for compensation.

As Thailand continues its spree of materiel acquisitions, major names in the defence industry are set to gather at the 12th Defense & Security 2025 to be held this November 10-13 at Bangkok’s IMPACT Exhibition Centre in Muang Thong Thani. Defense & Security has been one of the longest running defence exhibitions since its inception two decades ago, gathering regional leaders and global industry powerhouses.-ds/adj/dl (Pix:RTN, CHINAMIL)