Father’s Boat display opens to public at the Royal Thai Navy headquarters

September 30, 2020

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Paragliders fly in formation as dinghy sailboats sail offshore paying homage to Father’s Boat Tor 91 as she sits on her final resting place in Dongtan Gulf Historical Park at the Royal Thai Fleet headquarters.

The navy’s commander-in-chief officially opened the exhibit of Thailand’s first domestically built modern navy vessel in Sattahip.

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Adm. Luechai Ruddit cut the ribbon on the display of Patrol Boat 91 at the Dongtan Gulf Historical Park at the Royal Thai Fleet headquarters Sept. 27.

Adm. Luechai Ruddit pays his respects to Father’s Boat as he ties a commemorative ribbon around the forward flag mast of the Tor 91.

Commissioned in 1968, the boat was decommissioned on Sept. 26, 2019. It then went into drydock for restoration and preparation for its installment in front of the officer’s club.

While meager in stature, the patrol boat holds an honored spot in Thai navy history. It was commissioned by HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej after a trip to Germany who saw a similar vessel. He returned to Thailand and ordered the Royal Thai Navy to create a ship just like it.

King Rama IX provided input to designers and was aboard during trial runs. The first vessel designed and built in Thailand in the modern era, earning it the designation of “The Father’s Boat”.