TRAVEL INFO: KD PANAH & TAK BAI, THAILAND (1987)

These photos offer a wonderful glimpse of my time serving at KD Panah back in 1987. It’s a powerful piece of personal and naval history.

KD Panah (P42) was a kris-class Patrol Craft of the Royal Malaysian Navy, attached to 14th Squadron Patrol Craft, based at Tg.Gelang, Kuantan, Pahang. 

During the late 1980s, these vessels were the "workhorses" of the fleet, primarily used for coastal surveillance, fishery protection, and anti-smuggling operations.

My first photos show a trip to Tak Bai (Thatbai), Narathiwat, just across the border from Pengkalan Kubur, Kelantan. This was a common area of operation for RMN vessels stationed on the East Coast to monitor the maritime border between Malaysia and Thailand. Me and my shipmate on the small boat captures the reality of life in the Navy, using local boat for shore leave to Tak Bai after a weeks in ZEE Patrol at South China Sea. You can see the close bond between me and my fellow sailors. In the Navy, those friendships often last a lifetime. 

After a grueling patrol in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the South China Sea, a stop at Tak Bai (Tatbai) would have been the perfect "shore leave" for the crew of KD Panah.

Back in 1987, the South China Sea was a challenging theater. Following the 1979 publication of Malaysia's new maritime map, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) was tasked with safeguarding vast new territories. Patrols were long, often lasting weeks, as you monitored foreign fishing vessels, ensured the security of offshore oil rigs, and maintained a "show of presence" near contested reefs like Swallow Reef (Pulau Layang-Layang).

Serving on a Patrol Craft like KD Panah (P42) required a special kind of toughness. These were small but fast vessels, and in tough waters of the South China Sea, they could be quite "lively". 

Our mission likely involved constant surveillance. With only crews of about 22-30 sailors, everyone had to be versatile, handling everything from Radar watch to deck gun maintenance. 

Coming off a high-alert EEZ patrol to the calm market and riverbanks of Tak Bai must have bee a huge relief. 

Tak Bai was a unique spot because of its position right on the border of Malaysia-Thailand. For a sailor in 1987, it provided a complete change of pace - vibrant local markets, different food and the chance to stretch your legs on land.

SOUTH CHINA SEA IN 1987

The weather in the South China Sea in 1987 was particularly legendary among sailors, a year that tested both the endurance of the crew and the sturdiness of the Patrol Craft.

1987 is recorded in naval and meteorological history as a very "unusual" year. While it had a below-average number of tropical cyclones, the ones that did hit were intense.

In the latter half of the year (October/November), several powerful systems like Typhoon Lynn and Typhoon Nina churned through the South China Sea. Even if they didn't make direct landfall in Malaysia, the "tail effect" caused massive swells and unpredictable squalls across the EEZ.

For a small Patrol Craft like KD Panah, the South China Sea during the Monsoon felt like being inside a washing machine. 

Patrolling the EEZ in 1987 wasn't just about the weather, it was a time of high tension. Trying to board a foreign fishing vessel for inspection in a 3-to-4 meter swells was incredibly dangerous. It required expert ship-handling from officers and "iron-nerves" from the boarding party. 

Being in a small patrol craft meant you had to be the "eyes and ears' of the nation, often in seas so rough that bigger ships would hesitate to move. 

The Calm of Tak Bai

After days of "rolling and pitching" in the open sea, the absolute stillness of the river at the Thai border must have felt like heaven. The transition from the grey, angry South China Sea to the colorful, sun-drenched markets of Tak Bai is a contrast every RMN veteran remembers.

During the 1987–1988 period, KD Panah (P42) was at the heart of some of the most critical maritime missions in Malaysian history. While we were enjoying that R&R in Tak Bai, our ship was part of a fleet maintaining a very thin line of defense during a time of high geopolitical tension.

KD Panah has a legacy that continues; it was eventually renamed KM Kukup under the Maritime Agency (APMM) and remarkably, it was recently returned to the RMN and recommissioned as KD Sri Sarawak in 2024!

Compiled by:

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

ex-Crew KD Panah (1987)

31/12/20205: 10.49 p.m