Col. Udom Chaichana with the model of the warship he built with matchsticks. Photo: Sanook.com

 

by TNR Staff

 

A FORMER NAVY officer said today (Dec. 21) that a fellow sailor who survived the sinking of HTMS 442 Sukhothai told him that the front left hull of the warship was cracked and that is why seawater gushed in, Sanook.com said.

 

Col. Udom Chaichana, 60, who was among the crew who travelled to receive the warship in the US and sailed it back to Thailand in 1987 related that he was only 25 years old during that trip.

 

It took a month to bring the warship to Thailand from Seattle with his duty being communications officer.

 

After that he was stationed aboard this warship for several periods that lasted over four years. This led to a deep love and bonding with the vessel. As he knew every corner of it so well in his spare time he built a model with matchsticks.

 

Full story: https://thainewsroom.com/2022/12/21/ex-navy-officer-warships-front-left-hull-was-cracked/

 

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Modern warships just don't 'sink', no matter what the seas may throw at it. 

There must have been something catastrophic that caused the engines to fail, then the pumps, either technical, or gross negligence.

A hull crack may be a possible cause.

We may never know the truth.

Very sad for all those lost.

Ferrys or warships in Thailand, make sure you have your own lifevest.

 

 

If this is the case, it will come as no surprise,  as Thailand doesn't take safety seriously,  and maintaining anything is none existence..

i assumed these ships were hand me downs from western navies. But no. They were brand new special builds for the Thai navy. 

 

Wiki

 

The Ratanakosin-class corvettes (Thai: รัตนโกสินทร์) are a class of two corvettes that were built for the Royal Thai Navy in the 1980s. Constructed by Tacoma Boatbuilding Company in the United States. The Ratanakosin class is based on the Saudi Arabian Badr-class design.

Maintenance is an unknown word in Thailand. They do landscaping very well though. ????

With respect to Col.Udom, he might be better served keeping quiet at the moment rather than sharing anecdotal evidence.

 

As he himself mentions, as a 'closed' ship, if protocols are properly followed then it should be extremely difficult to sink, even with a cracked hull at the "front ,left side". Of course, it is quite possible any hull crack developed after the power and control of the vessel was lost.

 

Blaming an inanimate object for the incident is the most inoffensive and face saving approach and does not risk upsetting anyone.

I do hope this is not the start of a PR cover-up campaign to deflect from a thorough investigation into the causes for the sinking. 

Most of the Thai TV 'analysis' of the incident is putting alot of emphasis on multiple 'reports' of there being a number of repairs being either substandard or delayed. As there was pressure to move the budget for the purchase of the submarines.

Edited December 21, 20223 yr by jonclark

45 minutes ago, realfunster said:

Blaming an inanimate object for the incident is the most inoffensive and face saving approach and does not risk upsetting anyone.

I do hope this is not the start of a PR cover-up campaign to deflect from a thorough investigation into the causes for the sinking. 

Yes, Looks like the ball is rolling already.

 

 

Edited December 22, 20223 yr by Orinoco

Just look at the aircraft carrier Chakri Narubet, it came with 4 Harrier jump jets. All now obsolete! Bring on the F35's and Chinese submarines, lets watch them deteriorate!...........................Hopeless! 

Maybe they should have built the real one from matchsticks it may have stayed afloat.

"Of course, it is quite possible any hull crack developed after the power and control of the vessel was lost.".... yes, of course, it just "developed". You didn't run into anything right? Modern naval ships built in the US just don't "develop" cracks in the hull. Let's try again with a better excuse this time. Maybe the truth.

3 minutes ago, HuskerDo2 said:

Let's try again with a better excuse this time. Maybe the truth.

And lose face? Come on, their society does'nt operate that way!

 

 

Edited December 22, 20223 yr by 2baht

Does "Col" stand for Colonel? 

If so, that is not a rank anyone would hold if in the Navy....

 

Just saying.

6 minutes ago, 2baht said:

And lose face? Come on, they don't operate that way!

Come on. Which Western leader do you know that tells the truth?

In the West eventually the truth comes out ...then no one takes responsibility.

I wouldn't say that admitting to not having enough life vests is 'face saving'.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

told him that the front left hull of the warship was cracked and that is why seawater gushed in,

Don't know why but I have this suddenly roaming my mind !

 

3 minutes ago, carlyai said:

Come on. Which Western leader do you know that tells the truth?

In the West eventually the truth comes out ...then no one takes responsibility.

I wouldn't say that admitting to not having enough life vests is 'face saving'.

How many warships have sunk in your country of origin, Big Carl?

3 hours ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

If this is the case, it will come as no surprise,  as Thailand doesn't take safety seriously,  and maintaining anything is none existence..

I went to refresh my BOSIET in Sriracha years ago and the helicopter simulator was clearly constructed locally and made grinding / creaking noises when submerging. ????

 

I did another course in Bangkok more recently with an international company and the place was very modern and had state of the art equipment. 

 

Health and safety is regarded by Thais as an inconvenience that gets in the way of making money.

29 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Just look at the aircraft carrier Chakri Narubet, it came with 4 Harrier jump jets. All now obsolete! Bring on the F35's and Chinese submarines, lets watch them deteriorate!...........................Hopeless! 

The goal is to make as much money as possible, not have a functioning military defense. 

Off-topic, troll post reported and removed.

 

There is to be an investigation into how the maintenance money was spent. I can tell them; there is no word in the Thai language for maintenance; run it till it breaks, then buy a new one.

1 hour ago, JohnOFphon said:

Does "Col" stand for Colonel? 

If so, that is not a rank anyone would hold if in the Navy....

 

Just saying.

Probably his title was mistranslated.

The original is in thai.

Likely she hit a submerged container. Still, doesn't explain why she sunk. And that's this officer is pointing to - how engines were disabled by water at the front of ship. 
Even if she was poorly maintained, she was still passing checkups. 
So something dramatic happened followed by bad captain's decisions. 
Certainly there was ample time to rescue all marines, before she sunk. She was sinking for over 6h

Edited December 22, 20223 yr by internationalism

1 hour ago, JohnOFphon said:

Does "Col" stand for Colonel? 

If so, that is not a rank anyone would hold if in the Navy....

Yeah, and the same with "front ,left side".  Anyone in the Navy would've said " Forward, Port Side"

A troll post has been reported and removed.

1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

The goal is to make as much money as possible, not have a functioning military defense. 

this accident should make way for some new contracts or purchases in the coming years.

 

perfect play. 

"Crack" on the forward, port side. Ship listed to starboard. I know water has a mind of its own, but isn't there something wrong with this?

I guess water could have entered from port, disabled power, ship turns starboard side broadside to the waves and large wave washes over starboard side.

 

8 hours ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

If this is the case, it will come as no surprise,  as Thailand doesn't take safety seriously,  and maintaining anything is none existence..

Life on the ocean waves is no joke in Thailand.. go at your peril.

It seems a more plausible explanation , a crack in the hull , than the first reported

cause of water coming in through the exhaust , as though the ship would have an

exhaust sticking out the back like a vehicle .....

 

regards Worgeordie    

5 hours ago, HuskerDo2 said:

"Of course, it is quite possible any hull crack developed after the power and control of the vessel was lost.".... yes, of course, it just "developed". You didn't run into anything right? Modern naval ships built in the US just don't "develop" cracks in the hull. Let's try again with a better excuse this time. Maybe the truth.

the truth, are you forgetting who you are talking about, analysing a simple incident of someone running a redlight and causing an accident is beyond them.

6 hours ago, jonclark said:

Most of the Thai TV 'analysis' of the incident is putting alot of emphasis on multiple 'reports' of there being a number of repairs being either substandard or delayed. As there was pressure to move the budget for the purchase of the submarines.

I am not a sailor although I have quite a lot of experience as mate on large - 55 foot - sail training yachts a lot in heavy weather;  including one occasion when we came close to foundering in the North Sea on a passage from Ijmuiden to Portsmouth. The deep sea seal ( where the propeller shaft passes through the hull) failed in a force 7 gusting 8 and the boat started to fill) apart from myself and the skipper the bulk of the crew were made up from trainees. By dint of some energetic pumping and a very hard beat to windward we just made Ramsgate - "plan B" was to sail her up onto the beach at Pegwell Bay and hopefully walk ashore! 

 

The point of this "war story" is that there are two parts to most incidents at sea - first the breach of the hull's integrity and second the battle to keep the vessel afloat, sailing and get her to a haven. Often part one is beyond the control of the crew, part two depends to a large extent on the competence and training of the crew - and this was a naval vessel, damage control is what they do.

 

There was what, six hours between the ship taking water and finally sinking.

Edited December 22, 20223 yr by herfiehandbag

5 hours ago, internationalism said:

Probably his title was mistranslated.

The original is in thai.

Likely she hit a submerged container. Still, doesn't explain why she sunk. And that's this officer is pointing to - how engines were disabled by water at the front of ship. 
Even if she was poorly maintained, she was still passing checkups. 
So something dramatic happened followed by bad captain's decisions. 
Certainly there was ample time to rescue all marines, before she sunk. She was sinking for over 6h

Have you ever been involved in a thai goverment check up? A school I worked at would hide half the school when the officials came to inspect due to the school not having the necessary licence.  Plus the several visits I was there for the officials never left the principles office "acepting brown envelopes)...