"Phiphat" revealed that the Prime Minister has been informed about the attack on the Thai cargo ship "MAYUREE NAREE" in the Strait of Hormuz. Omani naval forces have rescued 20 crew members safely, with efforts ongoing to assist three others. The ship was carrying no cargo as it was on its way back to Thailand.
At 16:26 on 11 March 2026 GMT+7. Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, gave an interview at the Government House before chairing the meeting of the Center for Management and Monitoring of the Middle East Conflict Situation (CM3ECS) regarding the incident of a Thai-flagged cargo ship being attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. He said, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has already received reports concerning the safe rescue of all crew members. According to reports, the cargo ship had berthed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and was ordered by port authorities to weigh anchor and depart approximately 20 kilometers from the port when an explosion occurred near the engine room. It has not yet been confirmed whether the explosion was caused by gunfire or a naval mine; intelligence remains unclear.
Regarding whether special safety measures should be emphasized, Mr. Phiphat stated that the incident occurred in UAE waters, which are not involved in the conflict. He will discuss the matter with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the CM3ECS meeting and provide further information. The center will also release detailed statements on 12 March 2026.
When asked if additional safety precautions for Thai cargo vessels passing through that route would be required, Mr. Phiphat replied that since the ships are in UAE waters, they should not be involved in the conflict as the UAE is a neutral country. However, he noted that the UAE has also experienced attacks on oil facilities by suicide drones. He said this issue will be discussed further with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the meeting before more information is released.
On whether it might be possible to temporarily avoid the Strait of Hormuz route, Mr. Phiphat said it is currently inaccessible. The ships in the area are those that had already berthed in the UAE and should not be involved in the Strait of Hormuz conflict. It appears the cargo operations were not yet complete, and the ship had risen above the waterline. He is unsure whether the ship was yet to be loaded or had completed loading.
. Mr. Akiniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, said he had received preliminary reports that Thai crew members had been rescued following the attack. He asked that full details be awaited until the CM3ECS meeting. Prime Minister Anutin has already been briefed. When asked further, whether the incident would affect oil exports, Mr. Akiniti said that ensuring the safety of Thai crew members is the top priority. Regarding whether the Ministry of Finance should reduce excise tax on diesel fuel due to the growing deficit in the oil fund, Mr. Akiniti responded that no decision has been made yet. He has tasked his team to consider the extent of support but currently, assistance relies mainly on the oil fund.
At 16:30, Mr. Phiphat, as director of the CM3ECS, chaired the meeting and said, the MAYUREE NAREE is a 15,891 gross tonnage bulk cargo ship that departed Khalifa Port in the UAE and was hit by an explosion in the Strait of Hormuz. At the time of the incident, the ship was empty, having completed cargo loading and was en route back to Thailand. There were multiple ships departing simultaneously, and the MAYUREE NAREE had 23 crew members, all Thai nationals. Twenty have been rescued; three remain on board. He expressed gratitude to the Omani naval forces for safely rescuing the 20 crew members ashore. Efforts are ongoing to assist the remaining three, though the ship has no lighting.
Mr. Phiphat added that he will discuss and provide updates on the incident, including the oil situation. Crude oil prices, whether West Texas Intermediate (WTI) or Brent, have decreased significantly from a peak of $119 to about the mid-80s.
During the Cabinet meeting on 10 March 2026, the Prime Minister ordered that government officials may work from home where feasible and requested lowering air conditioning to 26-27 degrees Celsius. Wearing suits and ties is discouraged to save energy. However, there has been no official announcement about closing gas stations or switching off advertising signs after 10 p.m., despite earlier reports suggesting otherwise.
