According to Navy Commander in Chief Admiral Choengchai Chomchoengpaet on Thursday, the Navy will reopen bidding for the contract to salvage the debris of the Rattanakosin-class corvette ship, HTMS Sukhothai, which sank off Prachuap Khiri Khan province in December last year.
He stated that the auction will take place in mid-October, but did not specify when.
On December 18, the HMS Sukhothai sank in rough weather around 20 nautical miles or 32 kilometers off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Bang Saphan district, with 105 men on board. Seventy-six crew members were rescued, the bodies of 24 were found, and five are still missing.
The Navy had earlier launched bidding for salvage of the vessel, but the 16 companies who expressed interest did not submit all of the requisite documentation, “so the committee responsible for handling the auction decided to postpone it,” according to the admiral.
He denied rumors that the postponement was arranged to ensure that a company owned by a powerful family received the contract.
The HTMS Sukhothai was on routine sea patrol when it started to list to starboard, allowing seawater into the electrical system via the exhaust manifold. This resulted in the loss of electrical power and the shutdown of the main engine.
The ship’s steering failed, allowing additional water into the hull and worsening the list. The Navy dispatched three additional naval warships and two helicopters to rescue the ship’s crew.
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