Fishing boat sinks off Sattahip; seven reported missing

UPDATE

Sattahip fishing boat sinks; captain found dead

Picture courtesy of Amarin

A fishing boat has sunk in rough seas off Samae San, in Sattahip district of Chon Buri, leaving its captain dead and six crew members missing.

Fifteen of the 22 people aboard the S. Kanchanawari 888 have been rescued safely. Search teams continue to look for the remaining crew despite strong waves and wind at sea.

Captain confirmed dead

The vessel capsized in waters off Samae San after encountering severe sea conditions, according to the owner of the S. Kanchanawari 888, identified as Som.

Rescuers have recovered one body, confirmed as the boat's captain. Six other crew members remain unaccounted for in the sea.

There were also unconfirmed reports that four other fishing boats attempting to assist the S. Kanchanawari 888 were struck by the heavy seas and sank.

Search continues in difficult conditions

Officials have deployed search teams across the waters to locate the six missing people. The operation is being complicated by continuing rough conditions.

No further details on the identities of those missing, or the condition of crews from the other reported vessels, were provided.

22 September 2026

Most people have no idea how tough and dangerous commercial fishing really is. "Deadliest Catch" gave a pretty good idea of how tough it could be. Though fishing boats in tropical waters don't have to deal with the unrelenting cold that the Alaskan crab boat crews contend with, they have their own deadly share of unique hazards, especially very sudden and intense squalls that can change the most routine of days into a life and death struggle.

I used to have summer jobs as a mate on Charter fishing boats out of Cape Cod, just baiting hooks and cleaning customer's catches but I had offers to crew on trawlers working the Grand Banks. I was never even tempted.

UPDATE

Thai Navy SEALs Search Sunken Fishing Boat

Pictures courtesy of Sattahip News

Royal Thai Navy SEAL divers have entered the wreckage of the sunken fishing vessel S. Kanchana Waree 888 in an urgent effort to find missing crew members believed to be trapped inside.

The vessel had 22 people on board before it sank. Fifteen crew members have been rescued, while six remain unaccounted for as the search operation continues.

The Royal Thai Navy has deployed SEAL diving teams, helicopters and patrol boat T.112 to support the rescue mission. Official results from the underwater search have not yet been announced.

Divers search inside the wreck

The operation involves divers searching within the fishing boat itself, where missing crew members may still be trapped following the sinking.

Such work presents a high-risk environment for rescue personnel, who must operate underwater inside a damaged vessel while attempting to locate survivors or recover those still missing.

22 September 2026

UPDATE

Thai Navy stilling searching for four after boat sinks

Pictures courtesy of Amarin

Three crew members have been found dead and four remain missing after the fishing vessel Sor Kanchanawari 888 sank at sea off Samae San on 22 September 2026.

Fifteen of the 22 crew members were rescued. The Royal Thai Navy's First Naval Area Command has deployed vessel T.112 and an anti-submarine helicopter, known as the H.PD.1, to continue the search for the remaining four people.

The cause of the sinking, and the identities of those who died or remain missing, were still being investigated.

Search operation continues offshore

The First Naval Area Command was alerted by the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre Region 1 on the morning of 22 September that the fishing boat had gone down.

The vessel sank at latitude 11 degrees 56.93 minutes north and longitude 100 degrees 50.30 minutes east. The position is on a bearing of 194 degrees, about 40 nautical miles from the summit of Laem Pu Chao mountain.

Initial information said seven crew members were missing after the sinking, while 15 had been brought to safety.

At 7.15am, naval vessel T.112 was ordered to sea to support the search-and-rescue operation. At 8.30am, the H.PD.1 helicopter was sent to search from the air, carrying a special operations team and equipment for assisting people in distress at sea.

Three bodies were subsequently located. The navy, helicopter crew and fishing boats operating nearby were continuing to search for the four other missing crew members.

22 September 2026

UPDATE

One More Rescued After Sattahip Fishing Boat Sinks

Picture courtesy of Amarin

A further crewman has been rescued from the sea after the fishing boat S. Kanchanawari 888 sank off Samae San Channel in Sattahip district, Chon Buri. Five Myanmar crew members remain unaccounted for, with authorities believing two may be trapped inside the wreck and have died. Authorities had earlier reported that the bodies had been recovered, but have now clarified this is not the case.

On the afternoon of September 22, 2026, fishing boats involved in the operation brought 15 rescued crew members ashore at Samae San fishing pier.

Rescue workers from the Sawang Rojanathammasathan Foundation carried out initial health checks before taking the survivors to Queen Sirikit Hospital, Naval Medical Department, for further examination.

Survivor found drifting at sea

Later that afternoon, a fishing vessel taking part in the search found a survivor, Yi Sin floating in the sea and pulled him aboard safely. He was being brought back to shore, raising the number of people rescued to 16.

The remaining missing crew members are all Myanmar nationals: Soe Lat, 38; San Htike, 47; Naing Oo, 45; Htun Lwin, 22; and Khin Maung Aye, 47.

Information from the scene indicates that two of the five are inside the sunken vessel and have died, although authorities have not yet been able to confirm their identities and rescue drivers have been unable to reach them. The fate of the other three remains unknown.

Wreck search paused overnight

Officials temporarily halted the search around the wreck after nightfall approached, because of fading light and safety concerns for the operation teams. The vessel remains underwater, while fishing boats will stay at the site overnight with lights switched on.

The search is due to resume tomorrow, subject to weather, currents and safety conditions.

A special operations unit from the First Naval Area, including personnel from the Naval Special Warfare Command - commonly known as frogmen or SEALs - will return to the area. Patrol Boat T.112, and the Sawang Rojanathammasathan Foundation's water rescue team will also take part.

Their task will include searching the wreck and recovering the bodies believed to remain inside the boat.

22 September 2026