HTMS Prasae

HTMS Prasae is a decommissioned Royal Thai Navy frigate preserved as a memorial at the mouth of the Prasae River, in Mae Phim Beach’s stretch of Rayong. Built as the USS Gallup (PF-47), a Tacoma-class patrol frigate, for the US Navy, it was transferred to the Royal Thai Navy in 1951 and served until it was decommissioned in 2000. Entry is free; the ship’s interior — bridge, crew quarters, weapons deck — is open daily from 08:30 to 16:30, while the surrounding park stays open longer, roughly 07:00 to 18:30.

The ship’s name carries its own story. An earlier HTMS Prasae — a Flower-class corvette, originally the British HMS Betony — served with the Royal Thai Navy during the Korean War. On 7 January 1951, while patrolling off Korea’s east coast, it ran aground in a snowstorm and had to be destroyed when it couldn’t be freed. Later that same year, the US Navy transferred USS Gallup to Thailand under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program, and the incoming frigate was renamed HTMS Prasae in the lost ship’s honour. It went on to serve nearly 50 years before being struck from the Thai Navy register in 2000.

After decommissioning, the ship was first preserved at Sattahip Naval Base before being towed to the mouth of the Prasae River and installed as a memorial by the Prasae River Communities Committee on 27 December 2003. Today the site functions as both a naval memorial and a local public park — walking trail, playground, and a handful of seaside food stalls sit around the ship itself, so it draws as many local families out for an evening as it does history-minded tourists.

Insider Tip: Visit in the morning before the metal decks heat up in direct sun — the interior corridors and cabins are compact, and the exposed upper deck areas can get uncomfortably hot by midday.

Watch out: The stairways between decks are steep and narrow, as on any working warship — wear shoes with good grip and take the metal steps slowly, especially with kids in tow.

Getting there is straightforward by car or taxi to Pak Nam Krasae in Klaeng district, with parking available near the site (budget roughly 20 THB if a fee applies). Plan for about an hour to see the bridge, crew quarters, and deck properly, and pair the stop with the wider Mae Phim Beach area — the memorial’s park setting makes it an easy add-on to a beach day rather than a destination requiring its own trip.