Sunken secrets unveiled: Thai-US Navy joint mission to salvage Sukhothai corvette

In a bid to lay to rest the haunting echoes of the past, Admiral Adung Phan-iam, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), declared today the impending joint operation with the US Navy to probe the depths where the Sukhothai corvette now rests.

Sinking beneath the waves on that fateful December 19 night in 2022, the Sukhothai corvette became a watery grave for 24 valiant souls, while 75 were plucked from the clutches of the sea’s embrace. Yet, the shadows of tragedy linger, with five naval officers still lost to the abyss despite extensive search efforts.

Admiral Adung revealed the RTN’s initial intent to salvage the vessel independently, thwarted by the lack of essential equipment. Thus, with the US Navy’s aid invoked, a collaborative effort is poised to undertake the mission of destruction of the remaining ammunition and, if fate permits, the resurrection of the sunken ship.

Echoes of commitments made under military sale agreements reverberate, urging the eradication of all hazardous munitions lurking within the Sukhothai’s hull. Scheduled to coincide with the annual Cobra Gold exercise, this operation stands as a testament to international cooperation between Thailand, the United States, and their allied brethren, reported Thai PBS World.

The admiral acknowledged the pressing tasks at hand: the search for the missing naval officers and the gathering of material evidence to unravel the enigma shrouding the Sukhothai’s demise. Transparency, he promised, would be the beacon guiding this endeavour, with media invited to witness the launch of the operation and the public kept abreast of every stride towards closure.

The RTN received a second warning last month from the Joint United States Military Advisory Group Thailand (Jusmagthai) over salvage operations on the US-built HTMS Sukhothai, which sank in the Gulf of Thailand back in 2022.

In related news, the Second Naval Area Command of the RTN received a report about a boat allegedly involved in illicit oil smuggling to fishing vessels near Songkhla on February 8.