Siam had to sacrifice part of its territory to settle the crisis when France blocked the Chao Phraya River with two of its warships. It proved to be an object and priceless lesson for the Siamese, as during the crisis, foreigners serving in the Thai Government sector were powerless to intercede. On conclusion, King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V) immediately commanded the establishment of the Royal Thai Naval Academy and even sent a few of his sons to study administration and military affairs in Europe, so that on their return, they were well able to develop naval equipment and training in Siam to be on a par with international standards.


The Royal Thai Naval Academy (Thai: โรงเรียนนายเรือ) was established by His Majesty the King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in 1898. He officially opened the Academy on 20 November 1906.[1] Originally located on the royal yacht Maha Chakri and some other boats donated by H.M. the King, the Academy later moved to Wangderm Palace in Thonburi (in the compound of the present headquarters of the Royal Thai Navy), then to Sattahip, and finally ended up at its current location in Samut Prakan in 1952.[2]

The Royal Thai Navy (Thai: กองทัพเรือ) is the navy of Thailand and was established in the late 1800s. Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse (1880-1923) is "The Father of Royal Thai Navy". Similar to the organizational structure of the United States, the Royal Thai Navy includes the Naval Fleet, and the Royal Thai Marine Corps. The Royal Thai Navy operates out of Sattahip Naval Base.

The Royal Thai Navy operates in three Naval Area Commands: Eastern Gulf of Thailand (First NAC), Western Gulf of Thailand (Second NAC), and the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) (Third NAC). The RTN also has two air wings, located at Utapao (RTN First Air Wing) and Songkhla (RTN Second Air Wing).

The United States Navy and Royal Thai Navy conduct the annual joint operation Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT). CARAT is an annual series of bilateral maritime training exercises between the U.S. Navy and the armed forces of Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Philippines.



Chulalongkorn Rama V of Siam
Phrabat Somdet Phra Poramintramaha Chulalongkorn, Phra Chulachomklao Chaoyuhua (September 20, 1853 – October 23, 1910) was the fifth monarch of the Chakri dynasty. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Buddhachao Luang (พระพุทธเจ้าหลวง - The Royal Buddha). He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam. His reign was characterized by the modernization of Siam, immense government and social reforms, and territorial cessations to the British Empire and French Indochina. As Siam was threatened by Western expansionism, Chulalongkorn, through his policies and acts, managed to save Siam from being colonized. All his reforms were dedicated to Siam’s insurance of survival in the midst of Western colonialism, so that Chulalongkorn earned the epithet Phra Piya Maharaj (พระปิยมหาราช - The Great Beloved King).