The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) remains undecided whether or not to choose a Chinese-made engine as a substitute for a German-made one for an S26T Yuan-class submarine being assembled for it in China, RTN spokesman Adm Pokkrong Monthatphalin said on Thursday.
Adm Pokkrong was speaking after talks between Adm Chonlathit Nawanukhro, the navy's chief-of-staff in his capacity as chairman of the navy's committee managing the submarine procurement project, and China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co (CSOC) and China's naval attaché which ran from Tuesday until Thursday.
During the meeting, CSOC presented to the RTN information regarding the capacity and performance of the Chinese-made CHD620 engine, while the RTN side informed the former that it is still deciding on the matter, said Adm Pokkrong.
The RTN has neither agreed nor rejected this offer at this point as it still has to send a team to observe a test of the submarine's engine in China between January and April next year, he said.
During the meeting, the RTN imposed a new condition upon agreeing to consider CSOC's offer to replace the German-made engine with the Chinese-made one, he said, adding that the condition is that the Chinese-made engine must meet the Chinese navy's standards.
The process of getting the CHD620 engine certified to meet the Chinese navy's standards is expected to end by June next year, he said.
After all these processes are completed, the RTN will then compile the information for a report to be submitted to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for consideration before any further decision on the submarine engine would be made, he said.
"The RTN insists that the state budget allocated to it will be spent efficiently and in the best interests of the country," he said.
"The submarine procurement project may encounter several obstacles, but the RTN will try its very best to overcome them."