US-Phang Nga base claim baseless, says deputy defence minister

The Thai deputy defence minister denied today that the United States had requested the use of a naval base in Phang Nga province as part of tariff bargaining with Thailand.

Gen Nattaphon Nakpanich said his ministry has not been informed of any such proposal and that he only learnt about the claims from the media, he said.

Viral reports have claimed that the US wants to include the establishment of a naval base in the southern Thai province of Phang Nga, as part of negotiations over tariffs on Thai imports to the US.

Thailand has until August 1 to negotiate a reduction of the planned 36% tariff.

Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai refuted the claims yesterday, noting that the US and other allied countries’ naval vessels can already use the base, as part of existing cooperation agreements.

Meanwhile a Facebook page, Thaiarmedforces, posted today that the reports are the result of conflating unrelated information, without a proper understanding of the actual context.

It said the Thai Navy has planned to develop the Phang Nga naval base for years, to increase its operational capacity. At present, the base, despite being the main naval facility on the Andaman coast, is small and has a limited ability to support naval operations.

The Navy drafted a development plan and started to receive funding well before Trump became president.

Many foreign navies wish to dock on the Andaman coast, but the options are limited, as there is no deep-sea port capable of accommodating large vessels, unlike Laem Chabang Port on the Gulf coast.

As a result, most joint naval exercises require foreign vessels to anchor offshore, such as US Navy ships docking near Phuket.

Anchoring at sea, however, complicates and limits resupply operations.

Therefore, when the Thai Navy considered upgrading the Phang Nga base, it is not surprising that the US Navy inquired about the possibility of using the base for logistical resupply.

Each year, nearly 100 foreign naval vessels stop in Thailand for resupply, between Phuket and Chonburi.

Thailand earns several billion baht annually from such resupply services, both by sea and air, not to mention the additional billions earned from tourism tied to these visits.