On July 26, an unfortunate incident occurred at the Map Taphut dock. The Thai navy frigate HTMS Naresuan, a venerable vessel with a history almost three decades deep, sustained significant damage. A source from the navy confirmed that a torpedo tube and various life rafts on the ship experienced the brunt of the unexpected accident.
HTMS Naresuan was in the act of docking when the accident transpired, offering no further information on the cause. This ship, thoughtfully constructed in the skilled hands of Chinese shipbuilders, has served proudly for nearly 30 years. It was participating in the Naval Security Port and Ship Map Taphut Exercise 2023 – dubbed Nasmex 2023 – at the time of the incident. A three day event, the exercise stretched from July 25 to 27 in Muang district, situated in the Rayong province, exact location being the industrious port of Map Taphut.
The damage delivered by the incident was no superficial scrape or dent. One of the three tubes of the frigate’s torpedo launcher sustained severe damage, along with multiple life rafts. According to an initial estimation, the repair costs are expected to reach a staggering 100 million baht to return the ship to its original state of readiness.
The Royal Thai Fleet, the overseeing authority, has kickstarted an investigation into the pricy occurrence. While the fleet begins to peel back the layers of this unfortunate event, it remains of the utmost importance that the fleet, especially the ship and crew of the HTMS Naresuan, take the necessary steps to ensure the repair process is handled swiftly and efficiently. The HTMS Naresuan has spent the last three decades securing Thai waters, and certainly deserves to continue its service for years to come.
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