Move Forward MPs ask Navy chief on Sukhothai wreckage report status
Two Move Forward Party (MFP) MPs have asked the Royal Thai Navy when it plans to release the report on the wreckage of "HTMS Sukhothai".
MPs Jirat Thongsuwan and Chaiyapol Sathondee, who are members of the Parliamentary Committee on the Armed Forces, questioned the Royal Thai Navy’s leadership on plans to retrieve the wreckage after the Navy chief announced that they were going to consult experts from the US, where the ship was built.
On December 18, 2022, high winds and strong waves in the Gulf of Thailand caused seawater to flow into the warship. The flooding led to failure of the engines and pumps. Sukhothai, a corvette of the Ratanakosin class, continued to take on water until it sank. As of March 2, 2023, the Navy had rescued 76 sailors and found 24 dead. An additional five sailors are presumed dead but their bodies have not been found.
Chaiyapol revealed that the Joint US Military Advisory Group in Thailand had sent a letter to the armed forces in January 2023 and again in December, reminding the military to publish their findings on the HTMS Sukhothai wreckage.
Navy Commander-in-Chief Adung Phan-iam additionally testified to the Parliament Budgetary Committee that recovering the wrecked corvette was crucial. He cited how the wreckage was currently blocking travel, as well as the need to recover the bodies of five sailors who sank with the ship.
Chaiyapol questioned why it took the Navy so long to involve the US, as the US military advisory group had sent a letter notifying the Navy a year ago.
Meanwhile, Jirat criticised Defence Minister Sutin Klangsaeng over his communication with the Navy chief. Sutin had earlier received the opposition’s complaints regarding the wrecked ship. Jirat questioned why the minister’s remarks were not in sync with that of the Navy chief.
