She was intended to support the aircraft carrier HTMS Chakri Naruebet and its escorts.

[3][a] The design is a flush-decked development of the Chinese Type 905 AOR resembling the French Durance;[2] the builder referred to the design as Type R22T.

[1][2] Similan was a sister ship or the precursor to the later Chinese Type 903.

[2] The ship was planned to be armed with Chinese weapons; four Type 76 twin 37 mm naval guns and the Type 341 radar were not fitted.

[2] Similan deployed together with HTMS Pattani in 2010 and HTMS Narathiwat in 2011 to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia as part of Combined Task Force 151.