The Royal Thai Navy has plans to purchase two second-hand submarines at a cost of 6bn-7bn baht ($193m) as part of a ten-year plan to streamline the armed forces.

Navy chief Kamthorn Phumhiran said the proposal would be submitted to the cabinet for approval and the government would take a decision on whether or not to allocate money for the submarines.

The navy has not yet determined the specifications of the submarines, however, it is expected to buy them from European suppliers, probably Germany.

The navy also plans to buy a new fleet of frigates to replace the existing ones, which have been in use for 15 to 30 years.

The weapons procurement plans of the Thai armed forces come to an estimated 400bn baht ($12.8bn), according to the Bangkok Post.

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