The 28 tanks bought from China for 4.9 billion baht are not old models despite speculation they were past their sell-by date and no other country wanted them, army chief Chalermchai Sittisad said yesterday.
The 28 VT4 battle tanks arrived by sea at the navy's Thung Prong port at Sattahip in Chon Buri province on Monday.
Their delivery was six months ahead of schedule, but that was the result of "business competitiveness". They were not old models as some people wrongly thought, Gen Chalermchai said.
The speedy delivery was an extra benefit for the army, he added.
Gen Chalermchai said that last year, when he was an assistant army chief, he visited China to inspect the production of the tanks and they were highly efficient.
The army has ordered 10 more of the VT4s this year and will order another 10 next year.
The delivered tanks were taken to the Cavalry Division Centre in Saraburi province for inspection and for communications equipment to be installed before being officially accepted, Gen Chalermchai said.
Afterwards, the media would be invited to view the tanks, he said.
The purchase of the Chinese-made tanks, approved early last year, came after Ukraine failed to deliver Oplot T-84 tanks as promised following the country's domestic problems, according to an army source.
Only 10 Ukrainian tanks have been sent to Thailand over the past three years and they are now being kept at the 2nd Infantry Division in Sa Kaeo province.