Khun Somwong Meepoon, managing director of Prakarn Kolkarn Shipyard Ltd. of Samut Prakarn has built many types of boats. These include dredgers, fishing boats and, a couple of years ago, a classic seven-meter teak and takien wooden launch for Thailand's Crown Prince. In January, the ISO 9001 certified yard was crowded with steel dredgers and a pair of wooden fishing boats all in for maintenance and repairs. In position near the shipyard’s office the framing of a new hull sporting an elaborate garland of flowers honored the historic power of the bow stem on a Thai vessel. This new boat taking shape in a well respected yard is special as it will sever the Thai Department of Fisheries in research to assess fish stocks in Thai waters.