Direct answer
“DeepSeek V3.2 Thinking” is best read as DeepSeek-V3.2 using thinking mode, not as the name of a separately documented “V3.2 Thinking” model. DeepSeek’s release note calls V3.2 the successor to V3.2-Exp and says V3.2 supports thinking during tool use, as well as tool use in thinking and non-thinking modes. The note also says V3.2 followed the same API usage pattern as V3.2-Exp at that time; it does not establish a currently available V3.2-specific API path or spell out every historical request field. (Release note)
For a new hosted integration, DeepSeek’s current API quick start and model-pricing table list deepseek-flash and deepseek-v4-pro. The quick start says deepseek-flash is served by DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash-1017. Those pages document current API options; their listing does not prove that a V3.2-specific hosted path has been discontinued. They simply do not establish that one is currently available. (Quick start; Models & Pricing)
What V3.2’s thinking and tool use meant
DeepSeek described V3.2 as integrating thinking with tool use. In a tool workflow, the model can return a tool call, but your application must execute the requested function and send its result back. The documented Chat Completions handoff uses the assistant message containing tool_calls, followed by a tool message with the matching tool_call_id and the result. The API then receives the conversation again so the model can respond. (Release note; Tool Calls guide)
For thinking-mode tool turns, the current guide says to pass earlier reasoning_content back in subsequent requests that include the tools parameter. That is guidance in the current API documentation; don’t assume every current control or request detail transfers unchanged to a historical V3.2 endpoint. The V3.2 release note confirms thinking during tool use and says its API usage pattern matched V3.2-Exp, but does not spell out all request fields. (Thinking Mode guide; Release note)
How Speciale differed
DeepSeek’s release note characterized V3.2-Speciale as having maximum reasoning capability and requiring higher token usage. Those are the provider’s descriptions, not independent workload-specific benchmarks. The note also described Speciale as API-only at launch and without tool use. It announced a temporary API endpoint with an expiration of December 15, 2025, at 15:59 UTC; that announced expiration has passed, and the notice does not establish present access. (Release note)
Selection implication: If you are studying historical V3.2 results or running model weights yourself, evaluate V3.2 and Speciale on your own tasks. If you need a currently documented hosted API, start with the present model listing rather than assuming a V3.2 model name or endpoint still works.
Current production API path
DeepSeek’s quick start documents the OpenAI-compatible base URL https://api.deepseek.com and the model name deepseek-flash. Its thinking-mode guide documents thinking and reasoning_effort controls for the current API. The example below follows that current Flash documentation; it is not a V3.2 request example. (Quick start; Thinking Mode guide)
import os
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(
api_key=os.environ["DEEPSEEK_API_KEY"],
base_url="https://api.deepseek.com",
)
response = client.chat.completions.create(
model="deepseek-flash",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Compare 9.11 and 9.8."}],
reasoning_effort="high",
extra_body={"thinking": {"type": "enabled"}},
)
print(response.choices[0].message.content)
The current pricing table bills per 1 million tokens. For deepseek-flash, it lists cache-hit input at $0.003 off-peak / $0.006 peak, cache-miss input at $0.15 / $0.30, and output at $0.60 / $1.20. It defines peak hours as 01:00–04:00 and 06:00–10:00 UTC, Monday through Friday, excluding Chinese public holidays; all other hours are off-peak. Check the pricing page before budgeting because DeepSeek says prices may change. (Models & Pricing)
Bottom line
- Meaning: The phrase refers to V3.2 in thinking mode, not a separately documented model named “V3.2 Thinking.”
- Historical V3.2 behavior: DeepSeek said V3.2 supported thinking while using tools; your application still executes the tools and returns their results. Its release note said V3.2 followed the same API usage pattern as V3.2-Exp at that time, but that does not establish current V3.2 API access or every historical request detail.
- Speciale: DeepSeek’s release note described maximum reasoning capability and higher token usage, and said it had no tool use and was API-only at launch. The announced temporary endpoint expired on December 15, 2025.
- For new API work: The current docs list
deepseek-flashanddeepseek-v4-pro; they do not establish whether a V3.2-specific hosted path remains available. Validate the current model, tool handoff, limits, and pricing against your workload before deployment.