The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) held a ceremony at the Chook Samet port in the Sattahip naval base on Tuesday to welcome the arrival from China of its new multi-purpose troop carrier vessel with its 196 officers and men.

The new vessel, with Captain Thirasan Kongmun at the helm, was royally named HTMS Chang. Its keel was laid by China Shipbuilding Trading Company at the Hudong Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai about four years ago. RTN Commander-in-Chief Admiral Choengchai Chomchoengpaet flew to the shipyard to take delivery of the ship on April 17^th. The ship left the port the following day and arrived at Chook Samet port yesterday (Tuesday).

The official reception ceremony was chaired by Admiral Choengchai and representatives of the Defence Minister and was attended by families of the ship’s crew members.

Based on China’s LPD Type 071 model, HTMS Chang is 210 metres long, 28 metres wide and displaces about 25,000 tonnes. Its maximum speed is 25 knots.

The ship is capable of accommodating eight amphibious assault vehicles (AAV) or nine armoured cars on its first deck and the same number on the second deck. It has a floating dock, which can also carry an additional 57 AAVs, two landing craft, air cushions (LCACs), nine landing craft vehicle personnel (LCVPs) or six landing craft mechanised (LCMs).

In addition to its complement of 196 officers and men, the ship can carry 600 troops for landing assault.

HTMS Chang is yet to be equipped with on-board weaponry and radar systems, which will take about two more years at an additional cost of 950 million baht, before it is fully operational.

According to the RTN, HTMS Chang is a multi-purpose vessel which can also be used for public disaster relief operations and as a support ship for the RTN’s submarines, which are still under construction in China.