The Royal Thai Navy said that it needs a new fleet of submarines to cope with possible threats in the Gulf of Thailand, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.

Thai Navy deputy commander-in-chief, Admiral Narong Pipatanasai, told journalists of the proposed plan yesterday, when he inaugurated an event on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of the Thai submarine history.

Narong said that submarines are essential for war preparedness, as, otherwise, other parties could use submarines to lay siege to the Gulf of Thailand.

The admiral also said that the Royal Thai Navy has prepared its workforce for the future possession of new submarines by sending its officers to study submarine technologies in other countries, including South Korea, Germany and Spain.

- Bernama