“The prime minister will have a proper solution that will not disappoint the public,” Sutin told reporters.
When asked if the prime minister would discuss the matter with representatives of the German government at the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month, the defence minister said: “That is possible. He sure has a good solution”.
In its original deal to buy China’s S26T Yuan-class submarine, the Royal Thai Navy demanded that the vessel be fitted with German-made MTU 396 diesel engines. But it turned out that a European Union embargo prevented Germany from selling this engine to China as it is destined for military hardware.
The submarine’s manufacturer, China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Co, recently offered a Chinese-made engine as a replacement for the German engine, but no conclusion has been reached with the Thai Navy.
