Officiating new years celebrations, King Bhumibol Adulyadej is present for the launching of His Majesty's Thailand Naval Ship Taksin, the small cruiser being the first new ship launched in some time by the nation, and a source of some national pride. After launching, Taksin is towed across the harbor into drydock for its completion, scheduled for early March. Meanwhile, construction continues in earnest on her sister ship Naruesan, as well as the carrier Rachan. Dockworkers in Phucket are elated as well, with Chaemp laid down in drydock there for construction, bringing prestige and jobs to the port city. Two more ships of the class are laid down in Bangkok.
The first new planes begin arriving, with squadrons starting to train with their new mounts and convert over from outdated planes. The secondary market is open with aircraft practically considered classics being put on sale as the Air Force and Navy updates.
The Royal Thai Army reports:
Conversions of their old Vickers 6 ton tanks into open-topped 6 ton AA vehicles complete, with a single 40mm AA gun mounted in place of turret and much of the superstructure, only a folding gun shield for crew protection in the direct-fire role.
The first Brigade of the Royal Thai Armored Cavalry brigades parades in its brand new Char 6B tanks, with infantry scouts in their lightweight but open-topped carriers moving behind them, showcasing the variety of variants, from Vickers heavy machine guns to mortars to a 20mm armed anti-aircraft vehicle, and finally an armored ambulance and Infantry transport or artillery tractor. The simple yet rugged vehicles are made to be easy to maintain and able to maneuver effectively in the jungles and other difficult terrain of the nation.
All front-line combat troops have been issued the new 7x36mm carbine as their standard arm, with older rifles being relegated to armories and second-line use. The Royal Armory at Krabl also showcased its new weapon to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a light machine gun with a top-feeding 30 round magazine in the 7x36mm cartridge. After a good showing in trials in October of last year, it is hoped that the new weapon will enter service later this year in limited quantities as production is ramped up. King Bhumibol Adulyadej remains adamant, despite detractors, that a full power rifle cartridge for general infantry use is a waste of weight, and that the smaller intermediate cartridge will be sufficient for regular infantry service, with heavy machine guns and vehicle machine guns retaining the longer-ranged weapons.