The Thai Navy must become seaworthy

Imagine: a plane crashes in the Gulf of Thailand, or a cargo ship sinks in the Andaman Sea. What would the response of the Royal Thai Navy be? The answer is clear: nothing.

Fortunately, the incidents involving Malyasian Airlines flight MH370 and the catastrophe involving the South Korean ferry Seawol occurred outside Thai territorial waters. Otherwise, the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) would have been in a great mood, as it doesn't have the capability or capability to conduct search and rescue operations on the high seas, let alone the much more sophisticated underwater operations. Search and rescue capability is very limited to coastal areas and inland waterways. They only have a small group of divers.

Before putting the horse before the cart – in this case the desire to buy three submarines – it is important to understand the real geostrategic circumstances Thailand faces in order to protect its maritime sovereignty and interests. The current discussion about the price, the country where those submarines may be built and the technical configuration does not make it clear to the Thai people why their country should have submarines.

Indeed, Thailand was the first Southeast Asian country to have submarines. That was during the reign of Rama VI, King Vajiravudh, when plans to acquire six submarines were discussed. It would be another two decades, until 1930, when four Japanese-made submarines were delivered to Thailand for use in the Indochina War and World War II.

Unfortunately, the role of the almighty Thai Navy was completely decapitated after the defeat of Japan during World War II and the aftermath of the infamous Manhattan coup of 1951. The submarines were decommissioned and relegated to history.

Since then, the navy has played third fiddle, after the army and the air force. There was a brief moment of glory when Thailand acquired an aircraft carrier in 1997, the Chakri Naruebet, which was never fully commissioned. In fact, it has become a butt of jokes about "an aircraft carrier with no planes."

Historic mishaps in the Thai Navy, coupled with an inability to manage and operate the region's first aircraft carrier, the rough treatment of those in distress at sea and the long list of alleged crimes, did not bode well for their continued efforts to modernize maritime defense capabilities. A better communication strategy was badly needed.

In January 1997, the Thai Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Center (Thai-MECC) was established. This center should be the main mechanism for coordinating more than 30 (government) institutions to meet the challenges at sea. But it is too cumbersome and ineffective, as demonstrated by the lackluster efforts to curb illegal fishing, modern slave labor and human trafficking.

The Prayut government has since revamped and better equipped the Thai-MECC with new mandates and equipment, so that it operates at the same level as the Internal Security Operations Command to meet the maritime challenges.

The role of the navy has become increasingly important due to the increase in incidents at sea in recent years, both in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, where cross-border crime such as piracy, human trafficking and theft takes place. Several unreported incidents of piracy and theft of fuel by siphoning, which have occurred in the Gulf of Thailand over the past three years, indicate the failure of the Navy and its inability to prevent a recurrence of these incidents .

But it was the Rohingya boat people crisis that drew the public's attention to the Thai Navy. First, there was the Navy's lawsuit against Phuket's Wan allegation that some naval officers profited from human trafficking. Secondly, there was the influx of Muslims from Bangladesh and Myanmar in the first weeks of this year. For the time being, the arrivals of boat people are temporarily less due to the monsoon season and the intensification of patrols.

But what made headlines in recent weeks was a different story. The planned purchase of three submarines from China for 36 billion baht was the bone of contention. Nearly seven decades after the delivery of Japanese submarines in 1930, the Thai Navy is calling for new submarines to protect large maritime areas of the country. The Andaman Sea is an important sea route, leading to the Strait of Malacca and then to the South China Sea.

Thailand has 3219 kilometers of coastline, while the Gulf of Thailand alone has 1972 kilometers of coastline. The total maritime territory of Thailand is 32.000 km².

Last month, a 17-member investigative committee unanimously approved the idea of ​​going for the Chinese submarines. The Navy thought that this time, with the strong consensus of all armed forces, a quick decision to purchase could be made without the hassles of the past. An important argument for the need for new submarines has been the new six-year national maritime safety plan, which is included in the 13th National Economic and Social Development Plan (2014-2019). The estimated value of Thailand's maritime revenue is 7,5 trillion baht per year. The estimate could be a bit on the high side, but it is enough to satisfy the desire to protect these important national interests.

The proposed purchase is part of the Thai government's ongoing efforts to more efficiently implement policy decisions under the slogan “Secured Land, Prosperous People”. The strategies include seven action plans to improve maritime communications and capacity building, upgrade naval infrastructure and equipment, provide training for seafarers to protect the maritime environment, promote ecotourism and improve fisheries policy. in Thailand.

In summary, Thailand needs to raise its maritime defense capabilities to a higher level. In the coming years, the existing and emerging maritime countries can make the Indo-Pacific Maritime Zone an active playground.

The country should also be willing to cooperate with other ASEAN members in planning and joint operations. Within the AseanPolitical-Security Community, maritime security cooperation is one of the priorities as part of the ASEAN Community's efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.

Source: Opinion article from Kavi Chongkittavorn in The Nation on July 27, 2015