The Royal Thai Navy will purchase six aging submarines from Germany to protect the country's maritime interests, according to the Bangkok Post.
The U-206-class diesel-powered submarines have been in service in the German Navy for around 30 years, and were due to be decommissioned.
Critics of the plan point to a history of poor acquisitions by the Thai military, and say the decision is a knee-jerk reaction to the fact that neighbours Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia already have submarines, and that Thailand doesn't want to be part of a "poor club", including Burma and Cambodia, of countries that can't afford them.
Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban both came out in support of the plan, saying it was necessary for training purposes and to defend the country.
The THB7.7 billion (US$230 million) submarines reportedly have 10 years left in them.
Apart from their venerable age, other problems come to mind. How are the Thais going to crew these old boats, and are they likely to remain largely unused like the RTN's embarrassing aircraft carrier? The submarine arms race in South-East Asia has proved to be a lucrative market for Europe's "merchants of death" -Ed
