Navy stands by frigate bidding
The Royal Thai Navy has come under public scrutiny after only one company, South Korea's Hanwha Ocean, was deemed qualified to take on the 17-billion-baht frigate procurement.
On 18 September 2026, the Royal Thai Navy announced it had chosen South Korean company Hanwha Ocean Co., Ltd. to construct a high-performance frigate under a 16.73-billion-baht contract. The selection process was conducted transparently and in line with regulations, according to Royal Thai Navy Commander-in-Chief Adm Pairoj Fueangchan and project officials.
The frigate will replace aging vessels and support missions such as protecting national sovereignty and maritime transportation routes. It will have capabilities in surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, air defence, attacking land targets, countering unmanned aerial vehicles, command and control, data-link operations, and joint operations.
The Navy invited 11 firms from various countries to bid for the project, but only one bid met the technical requirements. Hanwha Ocean Co., Ltd. offered a final price of 16.73 billion baht, 270 million baht below the project budget ceiling. The contract includes value-added tax, other taxes and duties, transportation, insurance, and related expenses.
Written by urgent.news from Khaosod English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Thai Navy picks Hanwha Ocean for 16.73 billion baht frigate khaosodenglish.com
