The video was posted online by Thanapot Meeboonkit, who said he did not record the video himself. Instead, he asked readers to credit the actual person who took the video, but failed to name the person. (See post here.)
The sighting of the submarine was made by a Thai tourist on a fishing boat on the way back to shore in Phuket, noted Thai PBS in its report of the incident. (See story here.)
“Many viewers said it might be a submarine Thailand recently bought from China last year but wondered why it was delivered so fast,” said the report.
However, it was later clarified by other viewers that it was a US Los Angeles class nuclear-powered fast attack submarine that took part in a joint maritime security exercises with Thailand under the “Guardian Sea 2018” operation, the report added.
The five-day anti-submarine and maritime domain awareness exercise involved cooperative situations designed to enhance mutual capabilities in anti-submarine warfare while also improving information sharing between the two navies.
Participating from the US Navy, in addition to the unnamed Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine were the guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG-97) and a P-8 Poseidon aircraft specially developed by Boeing for the US Navy for conducting anti-submarine warfare (ASW).
The exercises were held to strengthen anti-submarine warfare capacity as well as military relations. (See story here.)