The Royal Thai Navy took delivery of five high-performance coastal patrol boats for maritime law enforcement and protection of the royal family.
Navy commander-in-chief Adm. Luechai Ruddit and his wife, Capt. Ubolwan Ruddit, president of the Navy Wives Association, chaired the Nov. 22 turnover ceremony at Sattahip Naval Base.
Tatsanee Kunakorn, Sattahip ecclesiastical chief, led monks in blessing the new boats.
The boats are part of program begun in 2008 to replace 23 patrol boats. Shipyard Marsun Co. has completed 18 to date.
Each boat runs at high speed with abilities to combat, intercept, follow, and identify targets on the water’s surface and can defend itself from targets in the water and air.
Each boat weighs 49 metric tons, is 21.4 meters long, 5.6 meters wide and has a draft of 3.2 meters. Their maximum continuous speed is 30 knots. Each boat carries a 20-milimeter machine gun installed on the bow, a 50-mm gun and 81-mm mortar on the stern.
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