Thai Navy to Auction 11 Decommissioned Vessels
The Royal Thai Navy will auction 11 decommissioned vessels starting October 1, following decades of deterioration and mounting maintenance costs that made their operation uneconomical.
The Royal Thai Navy is preparing to sell 11 ships at public auction following their decommissioning on October 1, 2025. Defense Minister General Adul Bunthamacharoen signed the decommissioning order on September 23, 2025. The Navy determined that these vessels are severely deteriorated from decades of service and expensive to maintain, making continued operation uneconomical.
The decommissioning order takes effect October 1, 2025, and covers multiple vessel types. These include the frigates Keereerajin and Similain, both over 50 years in service; the large supply ship Simiran; large survey ships Sukr and Chan; patrol boats T-81, T-82, and T-83; the coastal patrol vessel T-243; and fast patrol craft L.C. 15 and L.141.
Navy spokesman Parich Rattanachaiyphan said the decommissioning is part of a restructuring effort to align the Navy's combat capability with budget constraints and current security threats. The Navy will first attempt to sell all 11 vessels to interested buyers through public auction. If sales fail, the ships will be dismantled and sold for scrap, with all proceeds returned to the Treasury. Any usable hull remains that the Navy cannot sell will be offered free to other state agencies for beneficial reuse, such as artificial reef construction.
