The Chakri Naruebet, built in Spain and launched in 1996, is designed as an aircraft carrier for very-short-take-off-and-landing (VSTOL) aircraft such as the Hawker Harrier, but currently carries only helicopters.
It is also fitted with two half-inch machine guns and three surface-to-air missile launchers.
Apart from projecting Thai naval power, the carrier has also been used for disaster relief, particularly after the 2004 Asian Tsunami, but also after deadly flash floods in 2010 and the heavy flooding in the deep south last year.