My latest finish is this tiny 1/700 coastal defense ship used by Thai navy just before WWII.
HTMS Thonburi was built in Japan for Thailand. She and her sister, HTMS Sri Ayutthaya, were commission in 1938. Together, the two sisters represented the largest surface units of Thai navy until long after WWII. Packed with 4 7.9inch guns on such a small hull, they had a very respectable fire power. They had such an aggressive appearance that the local people called them battleship.
Thonburi was engaged by a French light cruiser at the battle of Ko Chang, during Franco-Thai war, in January 1941.
Caught nearly unprepared, Thai navy lost two torpedo boats sunk while Thonburi was heavily damaged. She later capsized in shallow water. Although salvaged later, she was never returned to combat ready status, serving as a floating headquarter until decommissioned. Her superstructure and fore turret are preserved as a monument.
Seed hobby released a resin kit of Thonburi in 2020. The resin parts are very well-cast and easy to assemble. The supplied PE and turned gun barrels are also very good.
However, the deck is lacking in detail. I tried to add deck as many deck fittings as I could based on limited reference.
Overall, this is a quick and enjoyable project. I can recommend it to anyone looking for a ship model from a lesser known navy.
Nanond