The Royal Thai Navy will Retire Coastal Patrol Boats, T.98 and T.99

23 September 2022

Thailand's domestic Royal Thai Naval Dockyard built T.98 and T.99 to be decommissioning from 1 October 2022 after serviced for 37 years and 34 years respectively (photos : RTN)

The coastal patrol boats, T.98 and T.99 are the last two boats of 9 coastal patrol boats, Tor 91 series, built by the Department of Naval Shipyards, Royal Thai Navy, consisting of boat T.91, boat T.92, boat T.93, boat T.94, boat T.95, boat T.96, boat T.97, boat T.98 and boat T.99.

The T.98 was commissioned on 7 March 1985 and the T.99 was commissioned on 9 January 1988, respectively, including regular periods. Up to the present, 37 years and 34 years, respectively, when decommissioned from October 1, 2022.

The first coastal patrol boat, the T.91 series, the T.91, has had a decommissioning ceremony on September 25, 2019, together with the T.94 and the T.95. Later, there was a decommissioning of the shipwreck, T.92, and T.93 boats.

Currently, the T.91 boat is on display at the Father's Boat Historical Park, Ao Dong Tan, Sattahip District, Chonburi Province, and the T.93 boat has been handed over to Jesada Technik Museum for display. It is understood that all 9 T.91 boat sets are about to be decommissioned, and all of them have been discharged following the decommissioning of the last two ships of the series.

According to the strategy of the Thai Navy 2015-2024, which stipulates the need for a total of 16 coastal patrol boats, T.98 and T.99 will be replaced by two coastal patrol boats of the T.997 series, namely boats T.997 and T.998 boat built by Marsun Thai Company in Samut Prakan Province.

However, since the launch ceremony of the boat on June 21, 2021, both vessels T.997 and T.998 completed the building is still waiting to install weapons at the Marsun shipyard.

(AAG)