Arrest warrant issued for Phoenix tourist-boat owner

[snoop1130]

Arrest warrant issued for Phoenix tourist-boat owner

By The Nation

 

 

Arrest warrants were issued yesterday for the owner of the Phoenix tourist boat, which sank off Phuket earlier this month and caused 47 deaths.

 

If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in jail and a fine. 

 

The Phuket Provincial Court yesterday approved arrest warrants for Woralak Rerkchaikan, 26, and the boat’s mechanic, Ornjan Kanhayotee, 56, who is already in custody. 

 

The boat’s captain was arrested immediately after the accident on July 5.

 

Woralak and Ornjan have been charged with recklessly causing deaths and injuries to others. 

 

The Phoenix, which is operated by TC Blue Dream, allegedly ventured into the sea despite warnings of rough weather conditions. 

 

Although some tourists on board were rescued safely, 47 others drowned.

 

Woralak, who is married to a Chinese man, owns more than 90 per cent of shares in the firm. 

 

Authorities are examining the company’s business transactions to determine if the firm has used a Thai nominee to operate on Thai soil. 

 

TC Blue Dream has offered Bt100,000 to the family of each deceased victim. They are also entitled to Bt1 million compensation from the Thai government and Bt1 million from insurance firms. 

 

“The alleged use of nominees will have to be investigated because it means a business is using Thailand’s resources without generating real income for Thailand,” Tourist Police deputy commander Pol Maj-General Surachate Hakparn said. 

 

Surachate plans to go to Phuket today to visit three injured victims who are still being treated in hospital, and to discuss the case with China’s consular office in Phuket. 

 

He also planned to hold a meeting with the representatives of tour operators in Phuket and the nearby provinces of Phang Nga and Krabi. 

 

According to Surachate, there are about 400 tour boats in Thailand’s Andaman Sea and the Marine Department, in collaboration with tourist police, will examine all the boats. 

 

The chief of the Third Naval Area Command, Vice Admiral Somnuk Prempramote, said his agency would work with the Marine Department and marine police in checking boats of more than 60 gross tonnage at Phuket’s four major piers: Chalong Pier, Rassada, Ao Po Grand Marina and Visit Panwa. 

 

“We will examine boat conditions and the readiness of boat captains. We will also do head counts,” he said. 

 

He added that officials would also make sure that diving tours had one diving master per four tourists for maximum safety. Agencies would also conduct boat patrols to issue early warnings and provide timely help if anything happens, he said. 

 

“If any boat is found to be substandard, it must be upgraded,” Surachate said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30350035

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-7-13

[Happy Grumpy]

14 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

offered Bt100,000 to the family of each deceased victim. They are also entitled to Bt1 million compensation from the Thai government and Bt1 million from insurance firms. 

 

Wonder if it was a boat of Burmese tourists..... 

 

Or Burmese fishermen.

 

Or Burmese boat slaves.

[cyberfarang]

Of course the firm was using a Thai nominee to operate on Thai soil, I`d lay a billion to one odds on that and I`m not even a gambling man.

 

In my opinion the Thais that allow themselves to be used as upfront persons for illegal companies are the worst offenders of the lot. They should face the more severe penalties.

[Oziex1]

The boats mechanic, oh please.

[Oziex1]

Again with all the talk, followed by.

 

We know what will follow, same as always "0"

[AhFarangJa]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“If any boat is found to be substandard, it must be upgraded,” Surachate said. 

Who's standards will they be working to......

[smedly]

a little too late - 47 too late 

 

the marine dept want to spend their time chasing smokers on open air beaches using ashtrays and threaten them with jail while carnage continues with boat operators ignoring weather warnings and filling their pockets at any cost - safety not number one - money number one

 

47 dead and not one international news agency mentioned it, the people on this boat were likely wearing life jackets inside the boat which makes it very difficult to get out while you are stuck to the ceiling

RIP

[smedly]

1 hour ago, AhFarangJa said:

Who's standards will they be working to...…

money is the only standard

[Small Joke]

Thailand ignore safety upgrades at their peril. 

The Chinese market won't tolerate it,  and it will cost billions and a generation to lure them back once the tipping point is reached. 

The second point is that the Chinese are the piranhas of the business world.

In addition,  they fly under the radar here with ethnic ancestral connections,  often passing as Thai in casual encounters. 

Thailand now has a long term choice.   

Clean it's own house to Singaporean standards in order to protect itself,  or go along with cross border corruption, with the bulk of treasure  going offshore  in a business as usual approach. 

If they choose the path of least resistance,  they will wake up a generation from now to find dodgy Chinese interests are able to buy and sell the entire country at will.  

If Australia was duped, and sold to Chinese interests by the greed of it's own citizens, then Thailand have no chance!

This of course will not affect most people, and the facade of sovereignty will continue if enough elites are paid enough to 'rent' out the nation. Make no mistake,  these deals are going to gradually become  vast cash cows, as they trickle up, as always. 

The frog will of course be boiled at some point in future history, but probably not in our lifetimes. 

 

[Juan B Tong]

Mr. Small Joke,

Your perceptive comment is spot on!

I only disagree with...

 

"The Chinese market won't tolerate it,  and it will cost billions and a generation to lure them back once the tipping point is reached."

 

The Chinese will tolerate it and will be back when it's high season.

[Oziex1]

3 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

Who's standards will they be working to......

The standard size brown envelope.

 

OK enough with the brown envelope comments, we know how the country works.

[transam]

The Captain takes the Can.....His decision.....End of story...

 

The other stuff about who owns what is another issue.....The Captain takes the Can..

[stevenl]

20 minutes ago, Juan B Tong said:

Mr. Small Joke,

Your perceptive comment is spot on!

I only disagree with...

 

"The Chinese market won't tolerate it,  and it will cost billions and a generation to lure them back once the tipping point is reached."

 

The Chinese will tolerate it and will be back when it's high season.

The Chinese market is bigger in low season than in high season due to lower hotel prices, making the whole package much more affordable to them.

[cookieqw]

The only good thing is the boat wasn’t over loaded , could have been a lot worse

[quadperfect]

2 hours ago, transam said:

The Captain takes the Can.....His decision.....End of story...

 

The other stuff about who owns what is another issue.....The Captain takes the Can..

For sure the owners and captain are going down. But the mechanic should be ok and the other 400 boats will be up to snuff. Buisness as usual in november. 

[SOTIRIOS]

...given a 9-day head start...???

 

...wow....