HTMS ''Maeklong'' () is a retired

Royal Thai Navy The Royal Thai Navy (Abbreviation, Abrv: RTN, ทร.; , ) is the Navy, naval warfare force of Thailand. Established in 1906, it was modernised by the Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse (1880–1923) who is known as the father of the Royal N ...

escort vessel (classified also as a

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...

or sloop) and training ship, built at the Uraga Dock in

Yokosuka is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has a population of 373,797, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th-most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region. The city i ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. Her sister ship was . The ''Maeklong'' is preserved in concrete in Chulachomklao Fort in

Phra Samut Chedi District Phra Samut Chedi (, ) is the westernmost district (''amphoe'') of Samut Prakan province in central Thailand. Geography Neighboring districts are (from the west, clockwise) Bang Khun Thian and Thung Khru of Bangkok, Phra Pradaeng and (across th ...

Samut Prakan Province Samut Prakan province (, , , sometimes rendered Samutprakan or Samutprakarn) is one of the central Provinces of Thailand, provinces of Thailand, established on 9 May 1946 by the ''Act Establishing Changwat Samut Prakan, Changwat Nonthaburi, Cha ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. The ship is named after a river, the

Mae Klong The Mae Klong (, , ), sometimes spelled Meklong, is a river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, o ...

Construction and commissioning

HTMS ''Maeklong'' construction along with four other warships was ordered and signed by the

on 13 August 1935 and Phra Prakobkollakij was assigned as the general overseer of all the five warships, where Luang Chanchakrakij was to overseer the detailed construction of HTMS ''Maeklong'' and HTMS ''Tachin''. Royal keel-laying ceremony for HTMS ''Maeklong'' was held on 24 July 1936, at the

Uraga Dock Company was a major privately owned shipyard in Uraga, Japan, which built numerous warships for the Imperial Japanese Navy. History Uraga Dock Company was founded by Enomoto Takeaki in 1869. A shipyard had already existed in Uraga from the end of the ...

, Japan. HTMS ''Maeklong'' has delivery and returned to Thailand on 10 June 1937 and arrived at Ratcha Woradit Pier on 26 September 1937. The

Ministry of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...

organized a welcoming ceremony and enrolled in the ship on the day the ship arrived in Thailand. At the ceremony Prince Oscar Anuvatana, President of the regency council of

King Rama VIII Ananda Mahidol (20 September 19259 June 1946) was the eighth king of Siam (later Thailand) from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama VIII. At the time he was recognised as king by the National Assembly in March 1935, he went to Switzerland when ...

, presided over the ceremony at the Rajakij Winitchai Pavilion. HTMS ''Maeklong'' commissioned in 1937, served as a training ship for naval officers until the age of 60 is considered the longest active warship in the history of the Thai navy and the second longest in the world.

Service history

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, HTMS ''Maeklong'' patrolled the Thai territories to protect the Gulf of Thailand until the war was over and used to be a royal ship in many times, for example, when

went to study in Switzerland on 13 January 1938, or when the King returned to Bangkok on 2 December 1951 and used in royal proceedings to inspect the Naval Parade and Observing the landing of the marines at Bang Saen Beach, Chon Buri Province on 20 November 1954. In addition, it was organized as a ship to bring bone ash of

King Prajadhipok Prajadhipok (8 November 1893 – 30 May 1941) was the seventh king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama VII. His reign was a turbulent time for Siam due to political and social changes during the 1932 Siamese revolution. He i ...

to Tha Ratchaworadit on 20 May 1949.

HTMS Maeklong Museum

Later,

King Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any Thai monarch, the longest on record of any independent ...

asked the Royal Thai Navy that should preserve the old warships and make them into a museum of military history to disseminate knowledge to the public. Therefore, in the auspicious occasion of King Bhumibol will ascend the throne for the 50th year in 1996, the Royal Thai Navy built the Thai Warship Museum in honour of the Golden Jubilee Year of King Bhumibol by conserving the Mae Klong Luang boat and creating a warship museum in the navy's outdoor museum project.

Gallery

File:HTMS Maeklong, Command Bridge - panoramio.jpg, Command Bridge of HTMS ''Maeklong'' File:HTMS Maeklong, Chulachomklao Fort Museum - panoramio.jpg, On the HTMS ''Maeklong'' File:HTMS Maeklong, Chulachomklao Fort Museum - panoramio (3).jpg, Stern of HTMS ''Maeklong'' File:HTMS Maeklong, Chulachomklao Fort Museum - panoramio (1).jpg, As museum ship in 2012 File:Naval Museum - HTMS Maeklong Model - panoramio.jpg, Model of HTMS ''Maeklong''

Citations

References

* * Mikesh, Robert C. and Shorzoe Abe. ''Japanese Aircraft 1910–1941''. London: Putnam, 1990. .

External links

HTMS Maeklong Conservation Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maeklong Museum ships in Thailand Ships of the Royal Thai Navy 1936 ships Buildings and structures in Samut Prakan province Tourist attractions in Samut Prakan province Ships built by Uraga Dock Company Japan–Thailand military relations Royal and presidential yachts World War II frigates Training ships of the Royal Thai Navy