THAILAND is still deciding whether to buy Gripen fighter jets from Sweden or the F-16s from the United States.
With Thailand still undecided between American or Swedish warplanes, the U.S. government stepped in to propose a loan to help Thailand purchase a fleet of F-16 fighter jets.
The Defense Minister of Thailand revealed that the matter was discussed during a meeting with U.S. Ambassador Robert Frank Godec on Thursday.
However, accepting the offer from the U.S. government comes with a price as Thailand has to shoulder a high-interest cost.
The defense minister refused to divulge how much loan was offered by the U.S., adding that other countries had also offered Thailand’s similar loans to purchase fighter jets.
The Royal Thai Air Force has allocated 19 billion baht to buy four new fighter jets and the panel would consider both models from Sweden and the U.S.
The U.S. Ambassador also presented a letter to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin about the offer, with the contents not disclosed.
