Not all the royal army: what the Thai and Cambodian Navies are capable of
Against the background of the border conflict with Cambodia, the Thai Navy is demonstrating its readiness to ensure security in the region. A Thera patrol ship has been sent to the Trat area for patrol and surveillance. An analysis of the capabilities of the two countries' Navies shows a colossal imbalance: Thailand is actively rearming, acquiring frigates from South Korea, and building a submarine and the largest amphibious assault ship Chang in China. While the Cambodian Navy has only outdated boats. About what the ships of Thailand are capable of and how the Navies of the two countries relate, see the Izvestia article.
What is the Thai Navy?
Thailand remains the only ASEAN country with an aircraft carrier. In the period 1994-1997, the aircraft carrier Chakri Narubet joined the Navy of this country. With its size — displacement of 11,485 tons and length of 182 m — it is considered the smallest aircraft carrier in the world. At one time, AV-8 Harrier fighters were based on its board, but they were decommissioned in 2006.
Nevertheless, the ship remains in service, has undergone a number of upgrades, in particular to ensure communication with Gripen fighters and long-range radar detection aircraft. The Thai Air Force has Gripen and F-16 fighters in service. At the same time, Cambodia has no combat aircraft at all. Some media maliciously call the ship the largest royal yacht in the world, because the ship has apartments for members of the royal family of Thailand, and even a bar with a bartender.
In addition to the aircraft carrier, the Thai Navy has a number of large ships, in particular two Chinese-built 1994 Naresuan frigates with Harpoon anti-ship missiles, a Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft missile launcher and 127 mm artillery mounts. Prior to that, four Chao Phraya frigates were received from China.
In general, if earlier the markets of the ASEAN countries were dominated by Western ship manufacturers, now their presence is strongly pushed by China and South Korea. So, in 2019, South Korea handed over to the kingdom one Bhumibol Adulyadej frigate of its own design with a displacement of 3,700 tons and a length of 124 m, the ship carries a variety of weapons on board, including air defense systems and anti-ship missiles, can carry a helicopter, and a number of similar ships are under construction.
Not so long ago, Thailand decided to create an underwater component of its Navy. And currently, a submarine of the S26T project is being built for the kingdom in China with a plan to build two more.
The amphibious forces are represented by the Chang amphibious helicopter dock ship (DKVD) of the Chinese-built project 071. This is the largest ship of the Thai Navy with a displacement of 20 thousand tons and a length of 113 m transferred to this country in January 2023. It is capable of carrying 800 Marines, four helicopters, four boats and armored vehicles. Another Angthong rocket launcher was built in Singapore, has a displacement of 6,500 tons and is also capable of carrying helicopters and amphibious boats on board. There are also two medium landing craft.
In addition, the Thai Navy has corvettes, patrol ships and boats, amphibious boats, mostly self-built. The Thera sent to the border waters belongs to the patrol. A series of seven such ships was built between 1983 and 1986 at the state shipyard in Bangkok. The ship, 50 m long and 300 tons in displacement, carries one 76-mm, one 40-mm, two 20-mm artillery pieces and two machine guns. It can reach speeds of up to 22 knots. The crew consists of 56 people. That is, it is such a typical ship for solving border and patrol tasks in coastal waters.
The Navy's area of responsibility includes the Gulf of Thailand, the Indian Ocean, and river zones. The total length of Thailand's coastline is 3,129 km. Accordingly, the navy, established in 1906, has three commands (the northern and southern parts of the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea), several naval bases, units of the Marine Corps and the air force, and solves a wide range of tasks to ensure national security.
The Thai Marine Corps (division, special forces and a number of combat and logistics support units) has about 23,000 personnel, has tanks, armored vehicles, amphibians and large-caliber artillery, is well trained and highly motivated. She has repeatedly participated in counterinsurgency operations in remote drainage basins and jungles.
The Naval Aviation Division has patrol and transport planes, helicopters and drones.
Thailand is the only ASEAN country that has experience in naval warfare against a strong enemy in the recent historical period. During the Franco-Thai War of 1940-1941, a naval battle took place between the forces of these countries. During the Battle of Koh Chang on January 17, 1941, the Thai Navy's strike force was defeated by French forces, with serious damage to the coastal defense battleship Donhoburi and the sinking of two destroyers. Later, this battleship was raised, and today its bow superstructure and main-caliber turret are installed as a memorial on the territory of the Thai Naval Academy in Pak Nam. But since the commander of the French forces did not build on his success and allowed the battleship to leave, this battle is considered a victory in Thailand. However, after that, the Japanese actually occupied Thailand and French Indochina.
What is the condition of the Cambodian Navy?
Cambodia has 443 km of maritime border in the Gulf of Thailand and the newly built deep-sea port of Sihanoukville, through which up to 70% of cargo enters the country.
The Cambodian Navy, established in 1954, has approximately 20 patrol, torpedo and amphibious boats, mostly Chinese and Soviet-built. The number of personnel is 2,800. It should be noted that the Navy is a high—tech type of armed forces that requires good training of personnel, which is somewhat problematic for this country, which recently experienced one of the most terrible genocides in its history.
The Cambodian Navy performs patrol tasks, including in river zones, fights terrorism, piracy, human trafficking, cross-border crime, drug trafficking, and participates in the conservation of natural resources and emergency rescue operations.
Obviously, Thailand has significant naval forces. And if desired, in the event of a full-fledged war, he may well conduct an amphibious operation on the coast of Cambodia, and block the shores of this country. But Thailand has limited itself to sending one patrol ship, most likely to protect its fishermen. There have been previous skirmishes between Cambodian sailors and Thai fishermen. Having the opportunity to send significant forces to the border region, Thailand sent one small ship there rather as a safety net.
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