Thai junta defends buying 'cheap' US$393 million Chinese sub
Critics have questioned the need for the purchase after the military bought an aircraft carrier in the 1990s that now languishes in port, with no aircraft
The Thai junta on Tuesday defended the US$393 million earmarked for a Chinese submarine, batting back criticism of the secrecy of the deal, its cost and the questionable utility of the warship.
The submarine sale is the latest defence deal between Beijing and Bangkok, who have grown closer since Thailand’s coup three years ago.
Historically the Southeast Asian kingdom has been a major purchaser of Western arms, especially from its traditional cold war ally the United States.
But since the coup, which strained ties with the West, there has been a run of windfalls for China with Thailand scooping up several dozen Beijing-built tanks and inking plans to buy three submarines in total - a purchase that will amount to US$1 billion.
Talks are also underway for China to construct a multimillion dollar armaments and military hardware repair facility in Thailand.