First Naval Area Command deploys patrol boats to drive off 25 Cambodian fishing vessels
The First Naval Area Command dispatched the Gulf of Thailand patrol boat unit to repel 25 Cambodian fishing vessels that crossed about one nautical mile into Thai waters.
On Monday (February 9), a source at the First Naval Area Command said that on February 7, maritime informants reported a large number of Cambodian-flagged fishing vessels illegally fishing in Thai waters around bearing 211, raising concerns over maritime security.
VAdm Chalermchai Suankaew, Commander of the First Naval Area Command, then ordered the commander of the Gulf of Thailand patrol boat unit to deploy patrol craft T.996 and T.265 to urgently check the reported area.
At 2.00pm the same day, the two vessels reached the location and found around 25 Cambodian fishing boats clearly crossing the Thai-Cambodian maritime boundary by about one nautical mile.
However, after spotting Thai patrol vessels, the fishing boats changed course, accelerated, and fled back towards the Cambodian coast, preventing Thai forces from intercepting them in time.
The latest report confirmed that all Cambodian fishing vessels had returned to their own waters, while T.996 and T.265 continue patrol operations along bearing 211 to monitor the area and deter repeat incursions in the upper Gulf of Thailand.
