New Delhi: Ships of the Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron – INS Tir, INS Shardul, and INS Sujata – along with Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi, arrived at Phuket Deep Sea Port, Thailand, on Sunday, as part of an ongoing training deployment to Southeast Asia.
The vessels were accorded a ceremonial welcome by the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), marked by traditional honours and a performance by the RTN Band.
The port call highlights the expanding maritime partnership between India and Thailand, rooted in shared interests in regional security, stability, and cooperation. The visit holds added significance as 2026 is being observed as the ASEAN–India Year of Maritime Cooperation. It reflects New Delhi’s focus on strengthening engagement with Southeast Asian maritime partners.
During the visit, personnel from the Indian Navy and the RTN will participate in a series of professional and training interactions aimed at enhancing operational coordination and mutual understanding.
Activities planned include engagements with senior RTN leadership, professional exchanges, yoga sessions, friendly sports fixtures, and a Passage Exercise, according to an official statement.
India and Thailand maintain a close and steadily evolving naval relationship, reinforced through regular exercises and institutional engagements. Key bilateral initiatives, such as Exercise Ayutthaya and the Indo–Thai Coordinated Patrol, continue to strengthen coordination in shared maritime domains.
In addition, the SITMEX trilateral maritime exercise, conducted last year, underscored growing interoperability among regional navies, including the RTN.
The Indian Navy also looks to build upon Thailand’s stewardship of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), as India is set to assume the IONS Chair from Thailand in February 2026.
The deployment of the First Training Squadron aligns with the Indian government’s Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions vision.
It also underscores New Delhi’s role as a responsible maritime partner committed to promoting security, stability, and cooperation across the Indian Ocean Region.
