Thailand Maritime Enforcement Command Center Visits and Works with Regional Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center no.1

On the afternoon of January 15, the Thailand Maritime Enforcement Command Center delegation, led by Vice Admiral Danai Suwannahong, visited and worked with the Regional Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center no.1 (Regional Center I).

The meeting was attended by Mr. Nguyễn Văn Tính, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (the Center); Mr. Bùi Hoàng Tiệp, Director of Regional Center I; along with the center’s leadership, heads of advisory departments, and captains of search and rescue vessels under Regional Center I.

Mr. Nguyễn Văn Tính welcomed the delegation and emphasized the strong relationship and mutual support between the two sides in international maritime events in general, as well as in search and rescue cooperation in particular.

Overview of the working session between the Thailand Maritime Enforcement Command Center Delegation and Regional Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center no.1

Mr. Đỗ Trọng Hồng, Head of the Search and Rescue Coordination Department of Regional Center I, provided a brief overview of the center’s history, development in maritime search and rescue operations, and strengths and challenges. Specifically, Vietnam is a coastal nation with a shoreline extending over 3,200 kilometers. Every year, the country faces significant impacts from typhoons, tropical depressions, monsoons, and unpredictable weather conditions in the East Sea, creating immense difficulties for maritime activities, including search and rescue operations. The center’s search and rescue fleet consists of eight advanced vessels of 63 meters, 27 meters, and 41 meters long. However, seven of these vessels have been in operation for an extended period and have a limited operational range of under 250 nautical miles, posing challenges in responding to far offshore incidents. To address these limitations, the Center’s leadership has focused on enhancing training, improving technical capabilities for the assigned fleet, innovating with specialized software applications, and strengthening international cooperation with developed nations to improve maritime search and rescue coordination capabilities.

Vice Admiral Danai Suwannahong and the Delegation from the Thailand Maritime Enforcement Command Center

Vice Admiral Danai Suwannahong expressed his gratitude for the warm and thoughtful welcome from the center’s leadership. He emphasized that the longstanding neighborly friendship between Vietnam and Thailand has been nurtured and developed over the years, with search and rescue operations being a crucial part of bilateral cooperation. He highly appreciated the center’s effectiveness in maritime search and rescue, recognizing its success in saving lives at sea. At the same time, he expressed his hope for continued collaboration and mutual support for strong bonds and maximum efforts in advancing maritime search and rescue operations in the region.

The delegation visited the SAR 411 vessel at Regional Center I’s berth

As part of the working visit, the delegation from the Thailand Maritime Enforcement Command Center toured the infrastructure of Regional Center I, visited the SAR 411 vessel, and took commemorative photos with the Center’s leadership and crew members.

The delegation took commemorative photos with the Center’s leadership and crew members

The delegation visited the SAR 411 vessel