HTMS Sukhothai: Hopes sink as US announces ‘limited’ recovery mission at Cobra Gold
The Thai and US navies will launch a “limited” mission to salvage the HTMS Sukhothai during the upcoming Cobra Gold military exercise, the United States Embassy said on Friday.
The Royal Thai Navy last month suspended bidding for the salvage mission after the Joint US Military Advisory Group Thailand (Jusmag Thai) offered to help investigate the sinking and salvaging of armaments on board.
The Sukhothai sank in the Gulf of Thailand with the loss of 29 crew in December 2022.
“The Royal Thai Navy and the United States Navy will jointly carry out a limited recovery mission on the HTMS Sukhothai. This joint mission will be conducted under Cobra Gold 2024,” the US Embassy in Bangkok said in a statement.
“We are committed to safely and thoroughly conducting this joint limited recovery mission to honour the missing sailors and bring closure to their families and friends,” it said.
Navy commander-in-chief Admiral Adung Phan-iam said last month that salvaging the vessel may not be necessary, suggesting that the wreck could be left in place as a memorial to the dead and missing crew members. He added that this would also save the cost of salvaging the ship.
Cobra Gold 2024, an annual multinational military exercise, is scheduled to take place from February 27 to March 10 across various locations in Thailand including the provinces of Lopburi, Chanthaburi, Sa Kaeo, and Rayong.
Seven nations will take part in the main war exercises this year – Thailand, the US, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, and Malaysia. Regional powers China, Australia, and India will participate on the sidelines in humanitarian aid exercises.
The US-built HTMS Sukhothai, commissioned by the Thai Navy in June 1987, sank during a storm off Prachuap Khiri Khan province on December 18, 2022. High winds and strong waves caused seawater to flood the warship, causing the engines to fail. Of the 105 crew on board, 76 were rescued, 24 were found dead and five are missing, presumed dead.
