Tight security for Phoenix amid probe into boat tragedy

[webfact]

Tight security for Phoenix amid probe into boat tragedy

By Salinee Prab 
The Nation

 

Photo by Charoon Thongnual

 

The government has made the highest security measures for the just-salvaged “Phoenix” boat, which sank off Phuket province in July, taking with it the lives of 47 Chinese tourists.

 

The goal is to prevent anyone from meddling with key evidence as authorities investigate one of the biggest boat tragedies in Thailand.

 

On July 5, Phoenix capsized after a short, sudden storm while carrying many Chinese tourists on a tour. Of the passengers, 47 drowned in the sea. Several questions have since emerged as to whether the tour-boat operator had complied with safety standards or whether the yacht was itself substandard. 

 

“The area for the yacht will be cordoned off, with CCTV installed to record what happens around it. Also, we will have security guards on duty in the area around the clock,” Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said yesterday, as he boarded a boat to see how the salvaged Phoenix is being hauled to a designated spot in Phuket. 

 

Also on the boat were Tourism and Sports Ministry permanent secretary Pongpanu Svetarundra, Li Chunlin, Counsellor and consul general of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand and several senior Thai and Chinese officials. 

 

 

Weerasak said both the Thai and Chinese governments have paid close attention to the Phoenix case. 

 

He said progress in the investigation would be reported to him and then the Chinese government before being released to the public. 

 

Li said China was satisfied with the Thai government’s sincere efforts to investigate the cause of the boat tragedy. 

 

“We are confident that after the cause is identified and with safety measures for tourists being boosted in Thailand, confidence in Thai tourism will return,” he said. 

 

Phoenix was stuck at the bottom of the Andaman Sea for three and a half months. One salvage team tried and gave up after two months, which also saw one diver losing his life.

 

Earlier this month, a crane and barge arrived from Singapore through arrangement with the Thai police. They played a key role in successfully hauling up the Phoenix on Saturday. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30358795

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-19

[webfact]

Salvaged Phoenix tourist ship impounded and cordoned off for investigation

 

 

The government has ordered the Phoenix tourist ship, which was salvaged off Phuket on Saturday, to be impounded for investigation after it was towed to a dockyard on the tourist island.

 

Tourism and Sports Minister Veerasak Kowsurat, Phuket governor Pakkapong Thaweepat along with Chinese consul-general in Thailand Mr Li Shun-lin and the vice consul based in Songkhla were on hand to witness the towing of Phoenix by a barge to Rattanachai dockyard.

 

The delegation stood in silence for about one minute to pay respect to the 47 Chinese tourists who died when the ship sank in rough seas in mid-July.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/salvaged-phoenix-tourist-ship-impounded-and-cordoned-off-for-investigation/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-11-19

[bluesofa]

17 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said progress in the investigation would be reported to him and then the Chinese government before being released to the public. 

I'm guessing this is the usual case of altering any awkward details in the report, before being released.

 

22 minutes ago, webfact said:

“We are confident that after the cause is identified and with safety measures for tourists being boosted in Thailand, confidence in Thai tourism will return,” he said.  

It sounds great, but there's an awfully big difference between 'boosted' on paper, and 'continually enforced' in reality.

[pattayadgw]

I don't think they're going to find the wave that capsized her inside.. what do they think they're going to find??

[Darcula]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The goal is to prevent anyone from meddling with key evidence.....

 

That's our job....don't even think about it.......

 

 

 

[Oziex1]

This is going to give us at TV. some Thai official bashing fodder. 

[fruitman]

1 hour ago, pattayadgw said:

I don't think they're going to find the wave that capsized her inside.. what do they think they're going to find??

Maybe the ship was topheavy because too many passengers were on the upperdeck?

 

They better let farang experts investigate this, i have no faith in thai experts.

[bristolgeoff]

what evidence is left if it was in the water all this time.they know how it sunk it seems anyway.

[Bob12345]

1 hour ago, pattayadgw said:

I don't think they're going to find the wave that capsized her inside.. what do they think they're going to find??

They are gonna find, magically, evidence that blames neither the chinese nor the thais to boost confidence.

 

If i were burmese i would start running already.

[steelepulse]

32 minutes ago, Bob12345 said:

They are gonna find, magically, evidence that blames neither the chinese nor the thais to boost confidence.

 

If i were burmese i would start running already.

That and throw in a rogue wave or two and all bases are covered.  

[Lupatria]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Tight security for Phoenix...

They should have thought about "security" before the accident. It's like telling a charcoaled corpse to stop smoking in bed from now on.

[worgeordie]

I hear they are questioning a crab found in the bilges,

put under pressure it is giving some vital information,

which at this time cannot be divulged.stay tuned.

regards worgeordie

[Boatfreak]

"...whether the tour-boat operator had complied with safety standards" 

i am an inspector for the International Marine Certification Bureau and based in Phuket and I am really wondering what safety standards they are referring to, International Standards such as published by the Thai Industrial Standard Institute are certainly not applied in Thailand except for boats being exported to Europe.

[captnhoy]

1 hour ago, fruitman said:

Maybe the ship was topheavy because too many passengers were on the upperdeck?

 

They better let farang experts investigate this, i have no faith in thai experts.

I think this is a strong possibility. I once had a 30 ton timber built live aboard for my own enjoyment. It could be licensed for 30 people. When I sold it the Thai who was interested wanted to pack 100 on board. The upper deck was the largest open area. That sale did not go through.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Continuing the mantra of safety, the Minister and his VIP entourage were all wearing new 'life-vests' rush purchased from a local supermarket whereas not one of the hundred-odd people on their vessel has on.

[Tug]

What will fix the problem is proper design,inspections during building crew training licensing drills and random drug testing people that don’t obey pay real consequences (I know it’s thailand)

[NamKangMan]

5 hours ago, bluesofa said:

I'm guessing this is the usual case of altering any awkward details in the report, before being released.

 

It sounds great, but there's an awfully big difference between 'boosted' on paper, and 'continually enforced' in reality.

 

"I'm guessing this is the usual case of altering any awkward details in the report, before being released." - or, having the first salvage crew, who were Thai, remove / repair any evidence before the salvage. 

[IAMHERE]

Good news it was not the fault of the foreigner falang, probably. Except there were for sure too many on the side that sank first, maybe?

[White Christmas13]

34 minutes ago, car720 said:

99.9% of Chinese cannot swim.  so no matter what happened to the boat they would be dead.  The only answer is to ensure that every passenger wears a lifejacket the entire journey.

you wrong 95 % can't swim 

[Media1]

l laughed after the first sentence

[steelepulse]

46 minutes ago, car720 said:

99.9% of Chinese cannot swim.  so no matter what happened to the boat they would be dead.  The only answer is to ensure that every passenger wears a lifejacket the entire journey.

Thing is, those that died below deck were all wearing some sort of life preserver and they could not get out as per the news reports.  There was a mention that the life preservers weren't the approved type that was supposed to be provided.

[scorecard]

4 minutes ago, steelepulse said:

Thing is, those that died below deck were all wearing some sort of life preserver and they could not get out as per the news reports.  There was a mention that the life preservers weren't the approved type that was supposed to be provided.

Here's another thought, some reports say it was a dive boat / the passengers were on the boat for diving.

 

The vessel sank in 45 meters of water.

 

So a question for the diving professionals, is 45 meters about normal for a diving excursion like this, for amateur divers, or is 45 meters more suitable for very experienced divers?

 

A bit late now but i wonder if their certifications to dive were checked before any of them actually went diving?

 

[Vacuum]

4 hours ago, steelepulse said:

Thing is, those that died below deck were all wearing some sort of life preserver and they could not get out as per the news reports.  There was a mention that the life preservers weren't the approved type that was supposed to be provided.

And that was the reason to the casualties.

Edited November 19, 2018 by metisdead
Please do not modify someone else's post in your quoted reply, either with font or color changes or wording.

[PerkinsCuthbert]

'Tight security' is a fine thing after the horse has bolted, but what about 'tight safety' before the damned boat sank?

[MaxYakov]

5 hours ago, pattayadgw said:

I don't think they're going to find the wave that capsized her inside.. what do they think they're going to find??

Chinese tourists?

 

Back in the good ol' days they were everywhere. Anyway, Phoenix is fitting name for the craft now that they've raised it, yes (or ... maybe not)?

[TPI]

Now they're going to blame the boat! Nothing to do with incompetent ship handling, nothing to do with overloading the boat, nothing to do with lazy, inefficient government officials...no no no! It was the boat all along, it has a long history of hating the Thai government and so took its revenge on these innocent Chinese tourists...devilish boat!!!! 

[Tchooptip]

6 hours ago, pattayadgw said:

I don't think they're going to find the wave that capsized her inside.. what do they think they're going to find??

what do they think they're going to find??

For instance, if the boat himself was seaworthy enough, it is very possible it was not, for example too much wind resistance, in French its called "fardage" in English not sure if it is called "dunnage" ? We are in Thailand everything is possible, also not enough horsepower could quickly be a problem if there are a few more waves. A naval architect can check all this and incriminate or not the builder

[Jimbo in Thailand]

9 hours ago, pattayadgw said:

I don't think they're going to find the wave that capsized her inside.. what do they think they're going to find??*

They're probably going to find what I found during my last tourist boat ride from Pattaya beach to Koh Larn (island) a few years ago. All of the bright orange life jackets were tightly lashed to the boat framing with rope just above the passenger seats.  In the event of an emergency no passenger would be able to quickly undo the double/triple-knotted ropes to release them.  It was a disaster waiting to happen.

 

*Bold red my emphasis, not pattayadgw's

Edited November 19, 2018 by metisdead
Please do not modify someone else's post in your quoted reply, either with font or color changes or wording.

[Media1]

4 hours ago, captnhoy said:

I think this is a strong possibility. I once had a 30 ton timber built live aboard for my own enjoyment. It could be licensed for 30 people. When I sold it the Thai who was interested wanted to pack 100 on board. The upper deck was the largest open area. That sale did not go through.

Thainess

[Bournville]

Top priority for Thailand? 4 months to salvage a small ferry? This does not bode well. Highlighted is bringing back the Chinese and its less about overall tourist safety in Thailand