The Royal Thai Navy to Procure New Gun Patrol Boats and Offshore Patrol Boats in Fiscal Year 2023

25 Januari 2022

HTMS Laem Sing-561, a M58 class Gun Patrol Boat (photo : 3rd NAC)

Official online social media account of the Royal Thai Fleet, Royal Thai Navy has released a video declaring the results of operations in accordance with the policy of the Navy Commander, Admiral Suwin Jaengyodsuk, who wants to see the results in the first 100 days according to the year budget 2022 starting from 1 October 2021 until January 2022 for more than 100 days. 

The naval fleet's video that reveals the Navy's strengthening program in the annual budget naval fleet 2023, which must be submitted for approval in accordance with the procedures for the Royal Thai Navy Ministry of Defense of Thailand The Thai Cabinet and the Thai National Assembly before September 30, 2022, amounting to 3 projects, namely

1.Project to supply two gun patrol boats,

2. Project to supply 1 offshore patrol boat,

3. Project to improve the capabilities of Pattani long-distance patrol boats, 2 ships

At present, the Patrol Squadron has three sets of Patrol Gun Boats stationed: 6 Sattahip class ships are HTMS Sattahip (521), HTMS Khlong Yai (522), HTMS Tak Bai (523), HTMS Kantang (524), HTMS Thepha (525) and HTMS Thai Mueang (526).

Three HTMS Hua Hin ships, namely HTMS Hua Hin (541), HTMS Klaeng (542), and HTMS Sriracha (543), and HTMS Laem Sing 1 ship, HTMS Laem Sing (561), which the patrol boat all three sets of guns boats are built in Thailand.

HTMS Laem Sing, the M58 Gun Patrol Boat, designed by Marsun Thai Company, is the latest gun patrol boat that entered service last year 2016. It is very likely that The Royal Thai Navy will order a new gun patrol boat from a Thai company to replace old boats that have lasted a long time.

OPV-552 HTMS Prachuap Khiri Khan (photo : 3rd NAC)

The Gulf Patrol Squadron has two sets of OPV: Offshore Patrol Vessel stationed. 2 Pattani class, HTMS Pattani (511) and HTMS Narathiwat (512), built in the People's Republic of China and two Krabi class ships, HTMS Krabi (551) and HTMS Prachuap Khiri Khan (552), which are based on the 90m OPV design of BAE Systems UK, built in Thailand by Mahidol Adulyadej Royal Navy Department of Naval Dockyard, Sattahip, Chonburi.

According to the Defense Technology Institute, DTI with Bangkok Dock Company Limited and Cho Thavee Public Company Limited have cooperation in the proposal of a long-distance patrol boat to the Philippines in the past year.

Long-distance patrol boats in the Pattani series, both ships that were in service in the year 2005 to be updated according to details in the policy of the Naval Commander 2020 is to install Exocet MM40 Block 3 anti-ship missiles and a new 40mm machine gun.

Long-distance patrol boats, HMS Krabi, both ships that were in service in the year 2013 and 2019, respectively. It is unclear whether the demand for one new HTMS ship will be the construction of more Royal Thai Navy ships or will change the new ship design. According to the Navy's demand for 2 more ships, a total of 6 ships.

However, the information of all 3 projects mentioned above are projects of the Gulf Coast Guard Squadron. Therefore, it is unclear whether there will be a project to procure a second frigate of the HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej Ship. Of the 1st Frigate Squadron (1st Frigate Squadron) in the Republic of Korea, will they transfer technology to build in Thailand as well? 

(AAG)