Thai Navy frigate procurement project

The Royal Thai Navy has moved forward with its next-generation frigate procurement project under the 2026 fiscal budget. Initially, the selection process was completed by the Navy and forwarded to the Ministry of Defence and Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul for acknowledgment, as the project value exceeded 1 billion baht.

South Korean firm Hanwha Ocean has been identified as the preferred bidder. The contract, valued at approximately 16.73 billion baht (roughly 683 billion won or 508 million USD), involves the construction of one frigate and integrated logistics support. Hanwha Ocean proposed the ‘OCEAN-40F’, a 4,000-ton class export frigate featuring a stealth hull design and drone response systems. The Thai Navy favored this proposal due to operational continuity and maintenance advantages related to the 3,700-ton class HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej, which was delivered to Thailand in 2018.

The selection followed a competitive bidding process involving companies from Spain, Singapore, Türkiye, and South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. Supported by the South Korean Ministry of National Defense and the Republic of Korea Navy, Hanwha Ocean will now enter detailed negotiations regarding technical specifications and project scope before a final contract is signed. The deal is expected to strengthen maritime defense cooperation between South Korea and Thailand.