Another Thai Navy Vessel Comes Under Attack

RANONG: A Royal Thai Navy surveillance vessel has been engaged in gun battle with an unidentified fishing boat for the second time in less than a month, Vice Admiral Somphop Bhuridej, Commander of the Royal Thai Navy Third Fleet, told the Gazette earlier this week. Both incidents occurred in Thai territorial waters off Ranong province. On December 19, two officers were killed when the naval boat Tor 98 came under machine gun fire from a fishing boat near Kom island. The navy believes it was the same vessel involved in the latest fire-fight, which took place on Tuesday, January 12, also off Kom island The January 12 incident involved another Royal Thai Navy surveillance vessel, the Tor 99. The navy vessel received a radio report from the Thai fishing boat Duangsup 9 that it and two other boats were being trailed by the unidentified boat off the east coast of Kom island. When the navy vessel, which was patrolling nearby, went to investigate, the unidentified fishing boat opened fire with a machine gun. The Tor 99 returned fire and the 20-metre fishing boat fled into Burmese waters. The three Thai fishing boats were not damaged. After the incident, Vice Admiral Somphop ordered His Majesty’s Ship, Chao Phaya, to patrol the area.