The Royal Thai Navy and U.S. Navy launched a joint operation to salvage a Thai warship that sank in the Gulf of Thailand in 2022.

Some 49 divers onboard the U.S. supply ship Ocean Valor plunged 20 nautical miles off western Prachuap Khiri Khan province on February 22 to retrieve the remains of the sunken HTMS Sukhothai corvette.

The team first surveyed the wreckage of the vessel in a 45-minute dive on Thursday.

The following day, the ship's barnacle-covered nameplate was recovered from the seabed.

Subsequent dives on Saturday and Sunday saw the retrieval of documents from the ship's bridge, as well as a Buddha statue.

Admiral Adung Phan-iam, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy, visited the salvage site to greet naval personnel and observe the ongoing operations.

He said in a statement: 'The Royal Thai Navy would like to confirm that the operation was conducted straightforwardly to gather information, providing answers to the Thai people regarding how HTMS Sukhothai sank.

'According to the footage from the dive team, the ship contained a crack on the bow, but further information is needed to confirm the cause of the sinking.

'However, I would like to confirm that the crack was not caused by negligence.

'I would like to thank the U.S. Navy for their assistance in this operation.

'Previously, both bids for the salvage were unsuccessful as the winning companies did not meet the required qualifications.'

He added that the mission, which involved transporting diving equipment from Hawaii to Thailand, highlighted the strong relations between Thailand and the U.S.

The salvage operation is expected to continue until March 14 as divers recover equipment, defuse explosives, and search for the HTMS Sukhothai crew who are still missing and presumed dead.

The US-built HTMS Sukhothai corvette was commissioned by the Thai Navy in 1987. However, it sank in the Gulf of Thailand during a storm on December 19, 2022.

Of the 105 people on board, 76 were rescued, and 24 were killed. Five more were missing.