Vietnamese fishing boat collides with Thai patrol ship in illegal entry
A Vietnamese fishing vessel collided with a Thai patrol ship after illegally entering Thai waters, leading to the arrest of one boat and its crew of four.
Yesterday, February 25, at 5pm, the Royal Thai Navy’s HTMS Thepa and a patrol ship towed the foreign fishing vessel to the multi-purpose port in Khlong Yai district, Trat province. This event followed the vessel’s capture in Thailand’s Exclusive Economic Zone earlier that morning.
Rear Admiral Apa Chapanon, director of the Maritime Enforcement Coordination Centre Region 1, together with Rear Admiral Chainant Chumai, deputy director of the same centre, were present to provide a statement.
Rear Admiral Apa revealed that the capture was a result of coordinated efforts between the Maritime Enforcement Coordination Centre Region 1, the First Naval Area Command, the Border Defence Command of Chanthaburi and Trat, the Coastal Patrol Squadron, and the Naval Intelligence Department.
They had been monitoring the presence of foreign fishing vessels in Thai waters since February 22, which led to the discovery of approximately ten foreign vessels conducting illegal fishing activities.
On February 24, the Maritime Enforcement Coordination Centre Region 1 was notified about the foreign fishing vessels’ presence, which included pair trawlers, purse seiners, and light luring boats.
Fishing boat
These vessels were operating in Thai waters, specifically between the coordinates of latitude 11°06’N to 10°58’N and longitude 102°26’E to 102°25’E. They were reportedly fishing at night and retreating southwards during the day.
Due to the situation, the Maritime Enforcement Coordination Centre Region 1 requested support from the Border Defence Command and dispatched HTMS Thepa and patrol ship T.264, along with aerial support from the First Naval Area Command. As a result, they detained one foreign fishing vessel and its crew of four, while the remaining vessels escaped to international waters.
The incident involving the Vietnamese vessel occurred during the arrest operation. Several Vietnamese fishing boats attempted to flee, but one vessel turned and collided with the right side of HTMS Thepa, causing minor damage.
The police fired warning shots with an M16 rifle to halt the escape, following international protocols. The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) announced strict enforcement measures and will continue to address the issue of foreign fishing vessels entering Thai waters, reported KhaoSod.
Vietnamese fishing boats have frequently entered Thai waters, especially in the lower Gulf of Thailand, under the jurisdiction of the Second Naval Area Command. This case marks the first arrest in Region 1 for the year 2025. The RTN plans to notify both the Thai government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to liaise with the Vietnamese government on this matter.
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