Tachin is an ex-USN Tacoma class frigate – broadly similar to the British River class. These had a relatively low profile in the USN given the huge numbers of destroyers and destroyer-escorts available, and many were transferred to foreign navies.
First commissioned by the US Navy as USS Glendale (PF-36), she was loaned to the Soviets during the war and served in the Soviet Navy as EK-6. After her return to the US, she was then transferred to the Thai Navy in 1951, where she served as HTMS Tachin. She is a sister to HTMS Prasae which is also preserved as a museum ship in Thailand.
I had some time to kill in Bangkok, so I got a taxi to take me up to Nakhon Nayok - about 1.5 hrs NE of Bangkok - to the Thai Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School, where Tachin is preserved. She is mounted on land, on one side of a parade ground also surrounded by a dozen tanks, several jet fighters, a C-130, and various other military equipment.
It is inside a military establishment, however after a lengthy discussion between the taxi driver and the guards (which involved them photographing us, the car, his driver's license etc), we were given a pass to go through. We were the only visitors there, and there were no staff or anything, so we had the ship to ourselves.
She is in very good condition - frankly better than some of the warships I have gone to sea on. Very little sign of corrosion, and all the weapons and other equipment are still onboard (and unfortunately covered by canvas - so hard to photograph). A number of entrances leading belowdecks were open, but there was no lighting, so I limited how far I went into the ship.
Definitely worth the effort.
