Post Claims “Thaioil 10” Attacked by Iran in Strait of Hormuz. Truth Is the Ship Never Passed That Route
Thai PBS Verify identified the source of the distorted news from : Facebook
Thai PBS Veify found the Facebook page Tasnim News Agency a picture of a Thaioil ship, along with text stating
“A source say, Today, a ship was targeted in the Strait of Hormuz.
This ship, flying the flag of Thailand, attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without heeding warnings and without obtaining permission from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy. It was prevented from doing so by the IRGC Navy and subsequently targeted.”
This post received 1,300 reactions, 187 comments, and was shared over 47 times.
Was a Thai Ship Really Shot in the Strait of Hormuz?
Thai PBS Verify inquired with Rear Admiral Parach Rattanachaiphan, Spokesperson of the Royal Thai Navy. He stated that according to the verification, a Thai ship was indeed in the Strait of Hormuz near the Gulf of Oman. The Royal Thai Navy contacted the ship’s owning company and received confirmation that “the ship is safe and was not shot”.
Furthermore, it cannot yet be confirmed whether a ship-shooting incident occurred, and it is unknown which country’s ship it was, as the agency tracks only Thai ships.
However, there could occasionally be cases of flag-flying fraud in actual events, even rare and considered illegal. It is comparable to placing fake license plates on cars. In addition, it was also found that an Iranian news agency used a picture of the ship “Thaioil 10,” claiming it was the ship that was shot. But upon verification, it was found that the vessel is safe and was not in the incident area. Therefore, the credibility of the said news information must be further evaluated. He emphasized that the Royal Thai Navy confirms all Thai ships remain safe.
Where Is the Claimed Ship?
Thai PBS Verify checked the image of the Thaioil ship from the post claiming it was the ship that was shot. As tracking via the vessel-tracking website Marinetraffic. It was found that at the time of the incident, the said vessel was not in the Strait of Hormuz area.
Meanwhile, upon checking the ship online, it was found that the vessel is still in Rayong Province.
Image of ship information from the MarineTraffic website on July 24, 2026, at 2:06 PM.
Page Transparency Verification
However, upon checking the page transparency of the Facebook page Tasnim News Agency, it was found that the page changed its name from Iran Military to Tasnim News Agency on April 21, 2026, and its page managers are in Bangladesh. While the page has 39,000 followers, this indicates that it has no connection whatsoever to official Iranian media.
What Was the Situation Like on That Day?
On July 20, 2026, the United States pushed forward with attacks on Iran for the 9th day, amidst concerns over the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran claimed that 2 oil tankers exploded and were unable to move. Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that it had attacked US military targets in several areas, including military bases in Jordan, Kuwait, and Syria. At the same time, the US specified that the new attacks aimed to reduce Iran’s ability to attack commercial ships in key shipping lanes. However, the Reuters news agency has not yet been able to confirm the incident involving the 2 oil tankers, and there are still no details regarding the ships’ names, flags, crew, or damages.
The conflict situation resulted in a decrease in navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, which is a vital global energy transit route. Data from LSEG indicated that the number of vessels traveling through the strait dropped from 8 ships to 4 ships during the said period, while oil prices adjusted upward by more than 2%, reaching over 90 dollars per barrel amidst concerns that the conflict between the US and Iran could impact global energy supply chains. In addition, it was also found that other agencies reported Iran shooting a Thai ship as well.
What is the truth?
Thai PBs Verify verified a news post claiming that “a Thai ship was shot in the Strait of Hormuz.” From an interview with the Royal Thai Navy, it was stated that a Thai ship was indeed near the said area, but contact was made with the ship’s owning company, confirming that the vessel is safe and was not attacked. Meanwhile, the image brought to claim it was the ship shot, the vessel “Thaioil 10”, was also verified not to have been in the incident area and was still around Rayong. Furthermore, information from the vessel-tracking website was consistent, showing that the ship was not on the Strait of Hormuz.
Why Did This Post Happen During This Period?
The reason this post is expected to stem from connecting information about the tension in the Strait of Hormuz with an image of the Thaioil 10 ship, without comprehensive verification of ship position data and facts. The page Tasnim News Agency cited information from “a source” claiming that a Thai-flagged vessel was intercepted and attacked by Iran’s IRGC Navy, but presented no supporting evidence. Such as the ship’s name, coordinates, incident location, or information from official agencies.
Meanwhile, the image of the Thaioil 10 ship used to accompany the text may be an image from a ship database or an old photo used to create a link to the incident. When an incident concerning maritime conflict occurs in a key area like the Strait of Hormuz, which is an international oil transit route, information regarding attacked ships often gains interest and spreads rapidly, especially when specified as a “Thai ship,” causing a large amount of re-sharing.
However, verification by Thai PBS Verify found that the Thaioil 10 ship was not in the Strait of Hormuz area, but remained around Rayong Province, and the Royal Thai Navy confirmed that all Thai ships are safe. It is therefore possible that using the Thai ship’s image was a case of misidentification or using an irrelevant image to accompany the news.
Therefore, the cause of this post may result from a combination of real conflict news in the Strait of Hormuz + unconfirmed information + using a ship image out of context, leading to the misunderstanding that “a Thai ship was shot,” even though there is still no evidence confirming that such an incident actually happened to any Thai ship whatsoever.
Verification Process
- Verify through news sources: The Royal Thai Navy spokesperson confirmed that all Thai ships near the Gulf of Oman are completely safe and were not shot as rumored. As for the Iranian media using the Thai ship image for claims, it was confirmed to be untrue and the ship was not in the incident area.
- Verify through vessel-tracking websites: Checking the Thaioil ship using the MarineTraffic vessel-tracking website revealed that the ship was not in the Strait of Hormuz area, consistent with the interview given by the Royal Thai Navy spokesperson. Meanwhile, checking the ship online found that the vessel is still in Rayong.
Impact of False Information
- Creating panic among the public
Claims that a Thai ship was attacked in an international conflict zone may cause public concern regarding the safety of Thai vessels and the situation in the region. - Causing misunderstandings regarding international events
Using images of unrelated ships to accompany news may lead society to understand that Thailand is involved in the conflict, even though there is no confirming evidence yet. - Affecting the confidence of the company and stakeholders
News claiming that the company’s ship was attacked may affect the image, credibility, and confidence of the ship owner, as well as the business sector related to maritime transport. - Potentially affecting international image and relations
Inaccurate information regarding maritime incidents may be further expanded upon, creating misunderstandings about Thailand’s role in the conflict situation. - Increasing the risk of spreading distorted information
Sharing unverified information may cause false news to spread widely and make it difficult for the public to distinguish true information from false information. - Impacting public perception and decision-making
Erroneous information may cause receivers to make decisions or express opinions based on incorrect data. Therefore, verification with relevant agencies should be conducted before dissemination.
What to do with this misinformation?
- Verify the source of information before believing or sharing
You should check whether the post comes from a reliable agency or news organization, as well as consider whether clear information sources are cited. - Do not believe based on images or text alone
Images may be used out of context or may be old photos unrelated to the incident. You should verify additional details, such as date, time, location, and accompanying data. - Verify information from multiple sources
Compare information with other news sources or inquire directly with relevant agencies, especially news related to security, international events, or safety. - Use tools to help verify information
Such as performing a Reverse Image Search via Google Lens or data verification websites to see whether the image is used in other events. - Avoid sharing if information is not yet confirmed
Forwarding unverified information may cause wrong data to spread and create misunderstandings in society. - Follow clarifications from relevant agencies
If it is an important incident, you should wait for confirmed information from government agencies or those directly involved before concluding or disseminating the information.
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