According to information published by Newtalk新聞 on October 25, 2023, Thailand has put on hold its plan to purchase S26T Yuan-class submarines from China.
Thai Defense Minister Suthin Klangsaeng announced on the 20th at the Naval headquarters the decision to shelf the acquisition plans. The initial agreement with China for the S26T Yuan-class submarines signed back in 2017, stipulated the use of German-made diesel engines. However, Germany prohibited the use of its engines for Chinese military and defense hardware.
China proposed an alternative with its domestically-produced engines, but Thailand expressed concerns over the performance of the Chinese-made engines. Following several rounds of negotiations, China attempted to reassure the Thai Navy of the capabilities of its engines, with the Thai Navy eventually agreeing.
Last month, Royal Thai Navy Commander Choengchai Chomchoengpaet recommended the cabinet to approve a submarine equipped with a Chinese-made engine. Despite this, the Thai government insisted on the utilization of German engines and requested the Navy to amend the project.
With its submarine plans dashed, the RTN had proposed buying either the aforementioned frigate or an OPV from China. The government opted for the frigate, and apparently, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin discussed this with Chairman Xi Jinping in a recent meeting in Beijing, and that China had accepted the proposal.