The Chinese-made submarines that Thailand ordered will not contain engines from Germany as the country is a member of the European Union and is so barred from exporting arms to China, says Germany's defence ministry.
Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai met his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, at the United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting (UNPKM) 2025 in Berlin recently, when he learnt the news.
Mr Phumtham praised Germany for hosting the event and congratulated it on the election of Chancellor Friedrich Merz and a new administration.
He also welcomed Mr Pistorius's retention of his cabinet position, signalling continuity in Germany's defence policy.
Both sides hailed their long-standing relationship spanning 163 years and strong economic ties. Germany is Thailand's largest trading partner within the EU.
Mr Phumtham confirmed Thailand's commitment to enhancing peacekeeping capabilities in line with UN standards and announced plans to host training under the Triangular Partnership Programme between 2027 and 2028.
Mr Phumtham also thanked Germany for its support in training Thai military personnel, which he said has enhanced their professionalism. He said the kingdom is eager to explore cooperation in cyber defence and AI in a bid to modernise its armed forces.
Thailand is also pursuing arms and military equipment manufacturing to increase its own security self-dependency, said Mr Phumtham, with a focus on the production of military vehicles, ship parts, unmanned aerial vehicles and firearms and ammunition.
During the meeting, Mr Phumtham asked about the possibility of the German defence ministry supplying MTU396 submarine engines for the Chinese submarines that Thailand purchased.
Mr Pistorius said the country could not proceed with the sale due to the EU's arms embargo on China, which Germany must comply with as a member of both the EU and Nato, in regards to the submarine deal as well.
In July 2024, the Thai Navy agreed to China's proposal to use the China-made CHD620 engines.
