Royal Thai Navy patrol ships arrested 108 Vietnamese fishermen illegally piloting a dozen boats in the upper Gulf of Thailand.
Vice Adm. Chumpol Wongwekhin, director of Thailand Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Center Region 1, led the three-day mission in the waters between Koh Samet and Koh Chuang Sept. 15. The HTMS Chao Phrya, HTMS Sirirath and HTMS Thimuang, along with two Seahawk helicopters, intercepted the Vietnamese boats.
The Navy cooperated in the operation with the Eastern Gulf of Thailand Fishing Management Center in Rayong, Rayong Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Rayong Marine Police, and Customs Department after having received complaints from Thai fishermen regarding Vietnamese fishing boats trespassing in Thai waters.
Enforcement officers from Royal Thai Navy patrol ships move in and secure a Vietnamese fishing boat caught illegally fishing in Thai waters.
About 20 small boats were spotted, but eight managed to escape the much larger and faster Thai ships.
All the Vietnamese crewmen received health checks and were transferred to Department of Marine and Coastal Resources to be processed for deportation.
