BANGKOK, 27 June 2014 – Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy Admiral Narong Pipathanasai on Friday confirmed the Cobra Gold defense exercise had not yet been canceled or relocated from Thailand as the rumors had said.
On 27 June Admiral Narong presided over a ceremony to receive an oil tanker from the Bangkok Dock. The oil tanker was named “Rua Luang Mattra” by His Majesty the King and will be deployed by the Amphibious Squadron of the Royal Thai Navy.
After the ceremony, Admiral Narong visited the “Rue Luang Mattra” exhibition before traveling back immediately, refusing to give an interview to the press. When asked if the U.S. would still organize the 2015 Cobra Gold in Thailand, the navy chief said it definitely would.
