PATTAYA, Thailand – The Royal Thai Navy’s First Naval Area Command has seized two vessels carrying more than 200,000 liters of untaxed diesel during an operation near the mouth of the Prasae River in Klaeng District.
The operation, conducted on December 8, was led by Vice Admiral Chalermchai Suankaew, Commander of the First Naval Area and Director of the Maritime Enforcement Command Center (MECC Region 1), working alongside the Excise Department and Marine Police.
Officials intercepted an unregistered vessel identified as the “B. Diwan Marine,” which was carrying 100,000 liters of diesel along with its captain and four crew members. A second unregistered vessel, which had no name, was found carrying 120,000 liters of diesel, with a captain and five crew members on board.
The arrests followed routine patrols by Patrol Boats Tor.112 and Tor.235, whose crews detected suspicious movements before stopping the vessels about five kilometers from the Pak Krong buoy. Both vessels were escorted to the Fleet Operations Command pier in Sattahip for inspection and legal proceedings.
Vice Admiral Chalermchai stated that the First Naval Area Command has been monitoring maritime threats closely, including smuggling, tax evasion, and illegal activity near the Thai–Cambodian maritime border. He emphasized that the operation supports the Royal Thai Navy’s 2025 “Year of Combat Readiness” directive, highlighting efforts to strengthen maritime security and public confidence.
The First Naval Area Command reaffirmed its commitment to continuing strict enforcement to protect Thailand’s maritime sovereignty and safeguard national interests in the upper Gulf of Thailand.
