NAKHON SI THAMMARAT - A Vietnamese trawler with four crewmen on board were detained on Thursday for illegally fishing in Thai territorial waters, the Thai navy said.
Second Naval Area Command deputy commander, RAdm Phichit Srirungruang, ordered the HTMS Sattahip to patrol after receiving intelligence of unauthorised fishing south of Koh Kra.
The navy, working with the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre, detected a boat with four crew members attempting to avoid detection 60 nautical miles from the nearest buoy.
Once apprehended, the boat and its crewmen were taken to Songkhla Naval Base for legal proceedings. The crew were questioned using an interpreter before being handed over to local police.
RAdm Phichit said the crewmen from Vietnam will be charged with operating an unmarked fishing vessel in Thai waters, engaging in commercial fishing without a licence and operating a fishing vessel without authorisation.
The Second Naval Area Command has carried out eight such detentions since October 2023, capturing 13 vessels and 65 crew members. The force has intensified efforts in accordance with orders to prevent encroachment into Thai waters by foreign fishing boats.
Officials pose with four Vietnamese crewmen in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat on Thursday. (Photo: Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre)
