HTMS Similan

HTMS Similan (871) (เรือหลวงสิมิลัน) is a replenishment oiler (AOR) of the Royal Thai Navy. She was intended to support the aircraft carrier HTMS Chakri Naruebet and its escorts. Similan was constructed in the People's Republic of China at the Hudong Shipyard through a 1993 contract with the China State Shipbuilding Corporation. The ship was commissioned in 1996. Similan is the largest ship in the Thai navy and the largest naval ship exported by China.

The design is a flush-decked development of the Chinese Type 905 AOR resembling the French Durance; the builder referred to the design as Type R22T. Similan was a sister ship or the precursor to the later Chinese Type 903.

Design
Similan has two refueling stations on each side. Solid cargo is transferred by helicopter.

The ship was planned to be armed with Chinese weapons; four Type 76 twin 37 mm naval guns and the Type 341 radar were not fitted.

Career
Similan deployed together with HTMS Pattani in 2010 and HTMS Narathiwat in 2011 to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia as part of Combined Task Force 151.