The Thai leadership intends to acquire about 40 Chinese VN1 armored personnel carriers. The cost of each - 1,695 million dollars.
Armored personnel carriers from China will have to replace the American V-150 Commando armored vehicles that have been in service since 1978.
According to experts, the contract for the purchase of new Chinese BTR by Thailand is very indicative of the unsuccessful purchase of Ukrainian armored personnel carriers BTR-3E1 under contracts of 2007 and 2011. As in the case of the Ukrainian tanks Oplot-T, the epic purchase of which ultimately led Thailand to the order of Chinese tanks VT4, in this case also there was a reorientation to Chinese samples.
Recall, VN1 is an export version of the main modern Chinese wheeled armored personnel carrier ZBL08. The BTR of this family has been in service with the Chinese army since 2009.
Thailand became the second well-known foreign customer of the Chinese BTR series ZBL08 (VN1) after Venezuela, to the marine corps of which, under a contract of 2012, 40 vehicles were delivered.
