Thai ship sinks in the Gulf off Prachuap - all aboard are safe but some media report injuries and missing

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thai Rath reported on the sinking of the Royal Ship Sukhothai. 

 

The vessel took on water while at sea in the Gulf of Thailand. 

 

It listed to one side then sank beneath the waves.

 

But all hands on deck were saved.

 

She had been 16 nautical miles off Prachuap Khiri Khan when a distress signal was sent at 7 pm last night.

 

Picture: Siam Rath

 

Communications and engine capabilities were down.

 

And at 11.30 pm she disappeared under the waves due to taking on so much water.

 

Siam Rath carried dramatic pictures of the ship's last moments. 

 

Updates were expected from the Thai Royal Navy spokesman today.

 

Trouble began 20 nautical miles off Bang Saphan at bearing 090.

 

As the ship listed it took on water that entered via side exhausts that knocked out electrical capability.

 

Three other royal ships and two helicopters took part in the rescue effort or were on their way to the scene and expected to arrive earlier this morning.

 

TNA reported at least three sailors injured seriously and some still unaccounted for. 

 

 

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ชี้แจงกรณี #เรือหลวงสุโขทัย (ต่อ) ทร. สั่งการเรือหลวงอ่างทอง เรือหลวงภูมิพล เรือหลวงกระบุรี เฮลิคอปเตอร์จำนวน 2 ลำ พร้อมชุดป้องกันความเสียหาย เข้าช่วยเหลือเป็นการด่วน ปัจจุบัน เรือหลวงกระบุรี ได้เดินทางไปถึงจุดเกิดเหตุแล้ว อยู่ระหว่างเร่งให้ช่วยเหลือกำลังพลของเรือหลวงสุโขทัย pic.twitter.com/CWUZQzfjHt

— กองทัพเรือ ROYAL THAI NAVY (@prroyalthainavy) December 18, 2022

[Snig27]

Nobody loses ships and planes quite like the Thai military. Then we have their Vietnam war experience where they refused to fight and set up a massive blackmarket instead. A military friend who has liaised with the Thai army in recent years, including Cobra Gold, said they were universally regarded as hopeless.  

[digbeth]

I'd hold of on the submarine joke, 

the all aboard safe is premature, latest report is that about 20-30 sailors are still in the water

[Kenny202]

These ships are designed for battle and the most extreme of conditions. Boats don't just list and fill with water for no reason, even in the heaviest of seas. I'm guessing they left out the bit it ran aground or hit something.  I mean how could you?

[webfact]

3 Sailors Seriously Injured in Sunken Corvette Incident

 

 

BANGKOK, Dec 19 (TNA) – Three sailors were seriously injured while 78 out of all 106 sailors were being rescued from their sinking HTMS Sukhothai corvette off Prachuap Khiri Khan province on Dec 18.

Royal Thai Navy spokesman Adm Pokkrong Monthatpalin said HTMS Sukhothai listed in stormy sea while patrolling about 20 miles off Bang Saphan district, Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Seawater entered its engine through its exhaust pipe. Its electricity generator and machines then stopped and the vessel broke down. Seawater then poured in the ship quickly and caused it to list.

Two naval ships and two helicopters were quickly deployed in the scene to rescue the 106 crewmembers of HTMS Sukhothai. The Royal Thai Navy reported at 7am on Dec 19 that 28 sailors remained in the sea.

 

Full story: https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-1078553

 

-- © Copyright Thai News Agency 2022-12-19

 

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[Peabody]

Aren't the exhausts usually way up high? Did they just put a muffler sticking out the transom, like an automobile?

 

[webfact]

Royal Thai Navy Corvette Sinks In Heavy Seas Off Prachuap Khiri Khan Coast

By Editor

 

 

A Royal Thai Navy warship sank in the Gulf of Thailand off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan on Sunday night.

 

Navy spokesman Pokkrong Monthatphalin said the corvette HTMS Sukhothai sank at around 11.30pm after it ran into high waves and capsized off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province. All crew members were rescued in what is reported as the first sinking of a Thai navy ship in modern history.

 

The ship was on its way to attend a commemorative event to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of the force’s founder, Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse, in Chonburi province, Vice Adm. Pokkrong said.

 

About 20 nautical miles out to sea, the vessel encountered choppy waters which disabled its engines. Water began to gush into the ship as the pumps went down, forcing it to list and within hours fully submerged the ship.

 

Photos circulated on social media shows sailors clinging to railings as the ship dipped its side at a stark angle into the sea.

 

 

The Ratanakosin-class corvette was built in the U.S. and commissioned in 1987. The class is armed with anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles, naval guns, and torpedoes for anti-submarine and patrol missions, according to the navy.

 

The last known loss of a Thai navy ship took place during the World War II in 1945, when the replenishment ship HTMS Samui was torpedoed by an American submarine off the Malaysian coast, killing 31 sailors.

 

Source: https://royalcoastreview.com/2022/12/royal-thai-navy-corvette-sinks-in-heavy-seas-off-pracuap-khiri-khan-coast/

 

-- © Copyright Royal Coast Review 2022-12-19

 

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[ozimoron]

2 hours ago, Snig27 said:

Nobody loses ships and planes quite like the Thai military. Then we have their Vietnam war experience where they refused to fight and set up a massive blackmarket instead. A military friend who has liaised with the Thai army in recent years, including Cobra Gold, said they were universally regarded as hopeless.  

Then there is this:

 

The last known loss of a Thai navy ship took place during the World War II in 1945,

[webfact]

Thailand navy ship sinks stranding more than 100 sailors

By Frances Mao
BBC News

 

Sailors scrambled into lifeboats after the Sukhotai began sinking. IMAGE SOURCE: ROYAL THAI NAVY
 

A Thai naval ship capsized during a storm in the Gulf of Thailand on Sunday night, leaving more than 100 sailors needing to be rescued.

 

Authorities said there were still 28 sailors stranded in the water on Monday, after the HTMAS Sukhotai sank.

 

No fatalities have been reported, but three crew members are in a critical condition.

 

Full story: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64023249

 

-- © Copyright BBC 2022-12-19

 

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[JoePai]

Pure incompetence, nothing more nothing less

 

The navy should be disbanded immediately and not give any type of mechanical device again - as a service they are the laughing stock of the world

[redwood1]

The words routine maintenance, I think have no translation in Thai... 

 

No need to look further than just about any public works project...

Edited December 19, 2022 by redwood1

[animatic]

1 hour ago, JoePai said:

Pure incompetence, nothing more nothing less

 

The navy should be disbanded immediately and not give any type of mechanical device again - as a service they are the laughing stock of the world

Sunk an American built corvette under 50 years old??? The coming  court marshal of Captan should be interesting theater.

 

This really should not have happened, the seas were enough to stop ferries transiting, but should never have sunk a naval vessel without incompetence being a factor.

Edited December 19, 2022 by animatic

[billd766]

3 hours ago, digbeth said:

I'd hold of on the submarine joke, 

the all aboard safe is premature, latest report is that about 20-30 sailors are still in the water

I suspect that some the engine room crew are among the missing, poor souls.

 

At least the water is a lot warmer that the Artic seas.

3 hours ago, Snig27 said:

Nobody loses ships and planes quite like the Thai military. Then we have their Vietnam war experience where they refused to fight and set up a massive blackmarket instead. A military friend who has liaised with the Thai army in recent years, including Cobra Gold, said they were universally regarded as hopeless.  

quote "Then we have their Vietnam war experience where they refused to fight and set up a massive black market instead."

 

That is not quite the way that I read it when I did a little research on Google.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand_in_the_Korean_War

 

The Kingdom of Thailand was one of the 21 countries who responded to the United Nations request to send troops to aid South Korea during the Korean War 1950-1953. As well as being one of the first countries to openly express its support for South Korea's cause, whilst also being one of the UN's larger contributors to the war.[citation needed] Thai support was important to battles determining the outcome of the war, including Pork Chop Hill and the Third Battle of Seoul.

 

Legacy

Thai Victory Medal for the Korean War.

Ribbon of the Thai Victory Medal for the Korean War.
During the course of the Korean War, Thailand dispatched a total of 11,786 soldiers to Korea.[5] It is recorded that 129 Thai soldiers lost their lives in the war, 1,139 were wounded, and five were missing in action (MIA).[4] In 1974, the Government of the Republic of Korea built a monument, and a Thai pavilion in Pocheon City, to honour the Thai soldiers who took part in the Korean War. On 4 November 2008, the Thai Embassy in Seoul, with the cooperation from the Office of Defense Attache, hosted the opening ceremony of the Thai memorial at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea (UNMCK) to commemorate the sacrifices made by Thai soldiers during the Korean War. Thailand still maintains, as of 2020, one liaison officer at the Armistice Committee site and six soldiers as members of the United Nations Command Honor Guard Company in Seoul.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand_in_the_Vietnam_War

 

In October 1967 the Royal Thai Volunteer Regiment (Queen's Cobras) was sent to Camp Bearcat at Bien Hoa, to fight alongside the Americans, Australians, New Zealanders and South Vietnamese. In 1968 the Cobras were replaced by the Royal Thai Army Expeditionary Division (Black Panthers).[3]: 27–34  About 40,000 Thai military would serve in South Vietnam, with 351 killed in action and 1,358 wounded.[2][4][5]

Black Panther Division colors come off USS Okanogan, Newport, 29 July 1968
Thai morale was generally high, with Thai troops taking pride in their roles as "defenders of Thailand from communism" and as Buddhists. Thai forces were generally respected by their American allies and inflicted on their PAVN opponents several times the losses they took; Thai media would often report on the war in terms of enemy killed, similar to American media. One state newspaper during the war had the headline "In 150 Fights, 100 [Thais] Are Dead, 1,000 Viet Cong Are Killed."

 

However you and your military friend may be right nowadays, or not.

[Hockeybik]

The after action report should be interesting.

[CANSIAM]

3 hours ago, Snig27 said:

Nobody loses ships and planes quite like the Thai military. Then we have their Vietnam war experience where they refused to fight and set up a massive blackmarket instead. A military friend who has liaised with the Thai army in recent years, including Cobra Gold, said they were universally regarded as hopeless.  

And yet eager for those F-35's.........????

[billd766]

1 hour ago, JoePai said:

Pure incompetence, nothing more nothing less

 

The navy should be disbanded immediately and not give any type of mechanical device again - as a service they are the laughing stock of the world

Absolute rubbish.

 

Were you there, and do you know exactly what happened?

 

I think that you were not and have just let your mouth run off into a fantasy world.

 

Facts are the things that matter in the real world and not stupid suppositions from people who were not even there and have no idea what happened.

[kingstonkid]

Reading everything here I am going to Hypothesize.

 

The Comander of the boat had never had to deal with an emergency and probably had never practiced emergency drills

 

The Engine room had not done the proper care and maintenance for an antique.

 

There had to be a hatch that had not been closed properly.

 

Add all this together and the fact that most people in Thailand think that maintenance is something you do when something breaks you can see the problems.

 

The result is that a few good men have lost their lives, and Their families have lost a loved one and in most cases the breadwinner.  The country has lost some good men that wanted to do a good thing get an education and be part of the country.

 

Unfortunately until they open the ship up to allow divers we will never really know what has happened.

 

RIP

 

[LomSak27]

2 hours ago, ozimoron said:

The last known loss of a Thai navy ship took place during the World War II in 1945,

1st of July 1951. A colossal error, failed to open the bridge on the Chao Phraya and were trapped.

[klauskunkel]

Before U-turn and after:

[Dogmatix]

If they ever get the subs, let's hope they don't use them and just leave them in the dock for kids to play in on Children's Day like the aircraft carrier.  Couldn't bear another drama like the boys in the cave.

[Rimmer]

A post in giant weird fonts has been removed, also a troll post

[Reigntax]

26 minutes ago, Hockeybik said:

The after action report should be interesting.

If ever there was a reason for the Thai military to stay In Power…… they need more training or is it the opposite and a sinking ship ?

Edited December 19, 2022 by Reigntax

[sandyf]

21 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

Reading everything here I am going to Hypothesize.

Of course you are, it's like a disease on this forum. Those of us with some military experience will wait for the investigation.

There are families in Scotland still waiting for the US to name the pilot that attacked a Red Cross convoy in 1991. If you are intent on vilifying the military pick something worthwhile.

[Bim Smith]

Praying for a safe return for all. 

[ozimoron]

2 hours ago, JoePai said:

Pure incompetence, nothing more nothing less

 

The navy should be disbanded immediately and not give any type of mechanical device again - as a service they are the laughing stock of the world

Would you apply that same logic to every navy who, perhaps avoidably,  lost a ship at sea? Or are you just gratuitously bashing Thais?

[Aussieroaming]

Let's hope the sailors are safe and all get rescued.

[Bangkok Barry]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

But all hands on deck were saved.

 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

TNA reported at least three sailors injured seriously and some still unaccounted for.

More first class Thai reporting.

[Peterphuket]

5 hours ago, Snig27 said:

Nobody loses ships and planes quite like the Thai military. Then we have their Vietnam war experience where they refused to fight and set up a massive blackmarket instead. A military friend who has liaised with the Thai army in recent years, including Cobra Gold, said they were universally regarded as hopeless.  

With Thai army you can't win a war.

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The ship was on its way to attend a commemorative event to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of the force’s founder, Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse, in Chonburi province, Vice Adm. Pokkrong said.

I've often wondered what any of the armed forces actually do, apart from attacking fellow Thais for daring to offer a point of view in opposition to the government. This gives a clue. Nothing useful.

[ourmanflint]

Another BS story. The amount of water needed to displace a vessel of this size would have to be huge, a broken exhaust would have to have been flooding for hours on end without anyone noticing