[Global Network Reporter Yan Peiyun] According to reports from Thailand's "Bangkok Post", "The Nation" and other media on the 18th, the Commander-in-Chief of the Thai Navy signed a supplementary agreement on the Sino-Thai S26T submarine project with China in Beijing on behalf of the Thai government on the 16th. It is expected that the submarine will be delivered in 2028.

Royal Thai Navy Commander-in-Chief Gilabón Onwitt said under the supplementary agreement, the construction of the S26T submarine ordered by the Thai Navy continued, but included major adjustments, the most critical of which was the replacement of the German-made MTU396 diesel engine with the CHD620 diesel engine made in China.

According to the report, the project construction period of the supplementary agreement is 40 months, which includes building the submarine, training maintenance personnel, transferring technology and preparing crew training for the submarine. This new agreement was approved by the Thai Cabinet on August 5th.

The commander-in-chief of the Thai Navy also affirmed the importance of the S26T submarine project, saying the project is an important part of China-Thailand¡¯s comprehensive strategic partnership.

In 2016, the Thai government approved the purchase of the S26T submarine from China. In 2017, the original agreement for the purchase of three submarines was reached. The agreement stipulated that the S26T submarine used German-made MTU396 diesel engines, but the purchase plan was once stuck due to the European Union's military hardware export restrictions to China, resulting in the engine configuration had to be replaced, plus the impact of the new coronavirus and the weak economic recovery.

In 2023, the new government of Thailand took office and worked with China to explore a variety of solutions, including changing procurement objects to escort ships, terminating contracts and giving compensation, accepting China's proposed alternative to the CHD620 diesel engine.In May 2024, after a new round of talks between the two sides, the Thai Navy finally decided to accept China's proposal to replace Germany's MTU396 diesel engine with China's CHD620 diesel engine.

According to Thai Public Television in June 2024, Thailand and China have completed negotiations on the Royal Thai Navy¡¯s plan to purchase a S26T submarine. The then Thai Navy Commander-in-Chief, Gen. Paine, said on May 31, 2024 that the deal was awaiting the final approval of the cabinet. He also said that the S26T submarine equipped with advanced weapons would be the first such submarine in Southeast Asia and would help boost the overall strength of the Thai Navy.