Thailand signs submarine purchase contract with China

BANGKOK, May 6 (TNA) -- The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has signed Thailand’s submarine contract with China. The signing ceremony took place Friday between RTN chief-of-staff Admiral Luechai Ruddit with Xu Ziqiu, chairman of China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co, Ltd in Beijing. The contract is made on a government-to-government basis. Adm Luechai left for Beijing to sign the contract after the Thai cabinet gave its approval for the RTN to buy three submarines from China on April 18. The RTN intends to buy three Yuan Class S26T submarines worth altogether 36 billion baht. The first one is priced at about 13.5 billion baht. (TNA)