'As it Is'

The Hydrographic Department Royal Thai Navy (HDRTN), founded in 1919, is the Thai government organisation under the control of Royal Thai Navy responsible for surveying Thai navigable waterways and producing official nautical charts and nautical publications to serve safety of navigation, naval operations and private-sector requirements.

Its national responsibilities and commitments embrace several areas. It publishes the national chart series (71 charts) covering Thai waters. It also produces National Tide Tables, Sailing Directions and Lists of Lights and Buoys in Thai Waters. It is further responsible for compiling and maintaining the Thai hydrographic and oceanographic data collection, providing and maintaining aids to navigation in Thai waters, maintaining Thai Standard Time and providing weather forecasting for Thai naval warships/aircraft and mariners navigating in Thai waters.

HDRTN operates three 900-ton survey vessels. HTMS Suk is equipped with modern equipment for collecting oceanographic data. HTMS Suriya is a buoy tender for aids to navigation and their maintenance. HTMS Chantara carries out hydrographic surveys and will soon have her equipment upgraded to include a modern multi-beam system. This will better equip her to re-survey the tsunami-affected waters of Thailand.

Since it was founded HDRTN has produced nautical charts using traditional cartographic processes. The arrival of the digital age in hydrographic offices has complicated ongoing efforts to keep up to date nautical charts for Thai waters. Although at first budget restrictions made difficult the changeover to new digital survey equipment and digital chart production, fortunately, in 2004, the Thai government realised the significant role of HDRTN as the national organisation capable of strengthening sea power within its territory. As a result it allocated extra budgetary resources to HDRTN for fulfilling these requirements. Nowadays the cartographic division is equipped with 22 computer workstations, seventeen CARIS GISs for paper-chart production, five CARIS HOM for ENC production, a dKart inspector for ENC Quality Assurance, two A0-size colour plotters and a new plate-setter system. Moreover, two ECDIS systems have been installed, one in the office for S-52 test-bed and another on a buoy tender vessel (HTMS Suriya) for sea-trial purposes.

The year 2004 was an important one for Thai ENC production; everything was then successfully in place. Since the beginning of fiscal year 2004 (October) 71 paper charts have been converted into digital form; eighteen ENC cells have been produced and are now undergoing the process of quality assurance and sea trial. It is expected that all ENCs covering Thai waters will be completed within the next few years and distribution will begin gradually, on a step-by-step basis.

Like many other HOs, HDRTN is planning to have a fully automated survey and cartographic process in the near future, to fulfil its requirements and meet IHO Standards. New modern equipment (more multi-beam systems, DGPS base stations, digital tide gauges, aids to navigation equipped with AIS) and also a new hydrographic vessel are planned for the next two years. As a member of IHO, HDRTN also looks forward to developing co-operation with other hydrographic organisations, not only regionally but also globally.

HDRTN has been doing its best to enhance capacity within the field of hydrography, for the benefit both of mariners and its beloved country.