Why Thailand, a US treaty ally, is stocking up on Chinese weapons

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Liu Zhen,Seong Hyeon ChoiJanuary 24, 2026 at 11:00 AM

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Thailand, a US treaty ally, is increasing its acquisition of Chinese-made weaponry, including ships, tanks, and armored vehicles. The Royal Thai Army recently finalized a deal on January 12 to purchase an additional batch of approximately 20 VN-1 armored vehicles from China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco) for 1 billion baht (US$32 million). This purchase will add to Thailand's existing fleet of over 100 VN-1s. The acquisition is part of Thailand's plan to strengthen front-line infantry support under its 2025 defense budget. This move comes as Thailand remains involved in a border dispute with Cambodia.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

S26T 40% Nares Wongtrakul 50% Natthaporn Khwan-yam 60% Cambodia 60% Royal Thai Navy ×260% China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco) 70% United States 70% VN-1 ×270% China ×280% Royal Thai Army 80% Thailand ×490%

Keywords

chinese weapons 90% thailand 80% vn-1 armoured vehicles 70% us treaty ally 70% arms deal 70% military hardware 60% defence budget 60% border dispute 50% china north industries group corporation 50% s26t submarine 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: 0.05

Source Transparency

Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Thailand

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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chinese weapons thailand vn-1 armoured vehicles us treaty ally arms deal military hardware defence budget border dispute china north industries group corporation s26t submarine

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