Thailand, a US treaty ally, has been adding to its arsenal of Chinese-made weapons with deals for ships, tanks and other high-value hardware.
Analysts put the trend down to pragmatic considerations.
The Royal Thai Army has finalised a deal to buy an additional batch of Chinese-made VN-1 armoured vehicles for 1 billion baht (US$32 million). This is expected to add around 20 new units to its existing fleet of more than 100 VN-1s, according to local media reports.
The contract was signed on January 12 under a government-to-government framework. Lieutenant General Natthaporn Khwan-yam, chief of the Thai army’s ordnance department, and senior officials from state-owned China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco), the manufacturer of the vehicles, attended the signing ceremony at the company’s headquarters in Beijing.
The purchase is part of Thailand’s plan to strengthen front-line infantry support under its 2025 defence budget, as the country remains embroiled in a border dispute with Cambodia.
Last month, Royal Thai Navy Admiral Nares Wongtrakul visited China to inspect progress on the S26T submarine ordered by the Thai navy.
tank, submarine, Chinese submarine, Thai-Cambodian border dispute, navy ship, Norinco, Bangkok, China, FK-3 air defence missiles, Royal Thai Army, Beijing, Chinese engines, Kei Koga, Thailand, VN-1 armoured vehicles, Nares Wongtrakul, Cambodia, China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco), Abdul Rahman Yaacob, Donald Trump, S26T submarine#Thailand #treaty #ally #stocking #Chinese #weapons1769249209
Abdul Rahman Yaacob
ally
Bangkok
Beijing
Cambodia
China
China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco)
Chinese
Chinese engines
Chinese submarine
Donald Trump
FK-3 air defence missiles
Kei Koga
Nares Wongtrakul
navy ship
Norinco
Royal Thai Army
S26T submarine
stocking
submarine
tank
Thai-Cambodian border dispute
Thailand
treaty
VN-1 armoured vehicles
weapons
