Ships leave for anti-pirate mission off Somalia | Bangkok Post: news

Two navy ships left Sattahip base on Friday morning for Somalia on a 98-day mission to join the international fight against pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden.

More than 371 officers and sailors departed on the frigate HTMS Pattani and supply ship HTMS Similan for the seven-day journey to the Gulf of Aden. Many relatives and well-wishers from government and the community gathered there to see off family members and friends.

The departure follows a cabinet resolution which allowed the Royal Thai Navy to prepare and dispatch vessels to join the international operation in the Gulf of Aden, off the Somali coast. A B270 million budget was allocated for the mission.

The Thai anti-piracy unit will protect and escort Thai cargo and fishing vessels on pirate-plagued sea routes leading between the Suez Canal, through the Red Sea and across the Gulf of Aden.

Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon presided over the farewell ceremony at Sattahip Naval Base in the eastern province of Chon Buri.

Rear-Admiral Chaiyos Suntornnak, who heads the mission, said the Thai contingent was ready for the task mission and had received some training in suppression of piracy.

"It is the pride of all Thai navy men," he said. "Although Thailand is not a big country, we can take part to help cope with the problem facing the world community."

The Gulf of Aden is between Yemen and Somalia on the Horn of Africa. It connects with the Red Sea and it is part of the important Suez Canal shipping route with some 21,000 ships passing through annually.

Increasing piracy on the high seas in the area is a cause of increasing concern for many countries whose economies depend on maritime commerce.

Four ships flying the Thai flag were hijacked off the Somali coast in the last year.

The cargo ship Thai Union 3 was hijacked in October and three fishing boats, the MV Prantalay 11, 12 and 14,  in April this year.