When coincidence plays fate - Memory of a ferry accident in the Thai Gulf in 1987

[sathornlover]

A very good old friend called me a few days ago after some time and among other things we talked about a ferry accident (a night ferry from Ko Pha Ngan to the mainland capsized at midnight) that happened 34 years ago in the Thai Gulf and she as a passenger with her two companions at that time fortunately survived because they managed to reach the coast of the island after swimming for several hours. According to her story, they were able to inform the coast guard so that other passengers could be rescued by fishermen and the coast guard.

 

The accident took place on 11 April 1987.  I could only find one article about this event on the internet in the NYT behind a paywall.

 

According to their article, 107 passengers survived, 16 passengers were rescued dead and no information could be given about other missing persons, as there were no passengers rescued. No information could be given about other missing persons, as there was no passenger list.

 

The article also refers to another report from "The Bangkok World" where the figures differ because the search for missing persons had not yet been completed. They report 12 drowned, 25 missing and 63 rescued passengers.

 

Is there anyone who may have heard about this event at that time, who may remember it?

 

There is a German TV report on YouTube about this accident, "Wenn der Zufall Schicksal spielt" (When coincidence plays fate) from 2019, from my friend's point of view, unfortunately only available in German language.

[malthebluff]

Found this but not much out there

https://azcentral.newspapers.com/clip/70861879/phangan-ferry-1987/

[MrJ2U]

1 hour ago, malthebluff said:

Found this but not much out there

https://azcentral.newspapers.com/clip/70861879/phangan-ferry-1987/

Thanks for locating and sharing an original article.

 

 

[SteveB2]

I was on Koh samui back in 1998 when the call went out for scuba divers to help recover bodies on another ferry that sank in one of those nasty 'North East Monsoon' sqawls that blight the region. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/dpm.1999.07308eac.002/full/html

 

23 October 1998 - Bangkok, Thailand

A press report from Bangkok states: A rainstorm and rough seas prevented efforts yesterday to find nine people still missing from ferry Saendee Maneesap 9, which capsized off Surat Thani on Wednesday (21 October). The search would continue, but it was feared the nine were trapped in the vessel, which sank in a storm 5.4km west of Koh Wao Yai in the Ang Thong national marine park. The vessel would be raised to establish what caused the capsize, in which three people, two of them foreigners, drowned and 18 were rescued. A crew member reportedly said the vessel was laden with 60 sacks of cement weighing about three tons, other construction materials and rice. The helmsman may have lacked experience since he put out in rough weather after a storm warning, which had been heeded by local trawler crews. A committee would investigate the causes and its findings would report back in three days. Bad weather foiled attempts by Thai and foreign divers from Koh Samui and Phangna to get to the wreck, lying at a depth of 18-20m. The rough conditions also prevented 350 volunteers and authorities, including sailors, marine police and tourist police, from setting off from Koh Samui with two army speedboats, three marine police patrol boats and 30 trawlers. Army and police helicopter crews who planned to join the search could not take off from their bases, due to the heavy rain. Chiewchan Kengehong, who was at the helm, had no navigation licence and had been charged with recklessness causing death and danger to others. The vessel's insurers are to pay 50,000 baht to the family of each of the dead and not more than 10,000 baht to the injured.

26 October 1998 - Four more bodies from last week's ferry accident near Wao Yai Island were recovered yesterday, raising the death toll to 15. Four other people were still reported missing. Three bodies were plucked from the sea near the island by navy and marine police patrolling the area while the fourth was washed ashore and was found on Phangna beach, some 40km from where ferry Saendee Maneesap 9 sank in stormy seas last Wednesday (21 October). Only one body was identified. The other three were believed to be Burmese crewmen. Governor Puchong Rungroj and Samui district police chief Pol Col Kreerin lnkaew flew in a helicopter for an aerial search and rescue mission yesterday and located the sunken vessel. Following radio contacts, eight fishing vessels went to the area with a 300m-long iron sling to tow the wreckage. Preparations were made for divers to also jump from a helicopter to search for more bodies but the mission was abandoned because of strong winds and big waves.

30 October 1998 - Officials called off the search for victims of the Koh Tao ferry accident yesterday. At least 18 people died when ferry Saendee Maneesap 9 capsized near Koh Wao Yai in the early hours of last Wednesday (21 October). Only Anuwat Chaiyaphum and a crew member identified as Nui are still missing. It was possible Mr Anuwat and the crew member were not trapped inside the wreck, officials said. Officials said the wreck of Saendee Maneesap 9 would not be recovered. According to background checks, the ferry had changed its name three times from Phanthanuthong to Arunpan to the current name. The vessel had been in service for more than 20 years and had at least two accidents. Meanwhile, a senior Harbour Department official dismissed speculation overloading caused the ferry to capsize. Sub-Lt Preecha Phetwong, director of the Waterways Transport Inspection Division, said the load of construction materials estimated to weigh three or four tons was not enough to upset the vessel which had a capacity of more than 70 tons. Other factors which could contribute to the capsize included the seaworthiness of the vessel, weather and the helmsman. Sub-Lt Preecha said he inspected the 24 metre vessel last year and found her and all safety and navigation equipment in good condition. The Saendee Maneesap 9 was originally registered with a capacity to carry 150 passengers, later reduced to 40 passengers for tax and insurance purposes because of decreasing demand. The number of passengers and the load of goods at the time of accident were far below the capacity. Sub-Lt Preecha said he was confounded as to the cause of the accident. An investigation to determine the cause should be concluded by next week.

[sathornlover]

2 hours ago, malthebluff said:

Found this but not much out there

https://azcentral.newspapers.com/clip/70861879/phangan-ferry-1987/

 

Thank you very much for this research fund which still contains some details to get a somewhat more clear picture of this event.

It confirms my friend's description of the time when she stood in front of my door after her surprisingly early return from Thailand and also gave the German TV station "ZDF" over 30 years later that she and her two companions  had to hold themselves over water  for about 4-5 hours, over 3 sea miles until they reached Ko Samui. Afterwards, they immediately alerted the police.

 

Very strong and brave girls in their 20s!

 

Another interesting a bit disturbing excerpt from this article and new detail for me:

 

„A police  official on Samui Island who refused to identify himself when contacted by telephone, said 107 passengers were rescued …"

 

[Mario666]

"According to their article, 107 passengers survived, 16 passengers were rescued dead and no information could be given about other missing persons, as there were no passengers rescued."

 

 

[khunPer]

2 hours ago, sathornlover said:

 

Thank you very much for this research fund which still contains some details to get a somewhat more clear picture of this event.

It confirms my friend's description of the time when she stood in front of my door after her surprisingly early return from Thailand and also gave the German TV station "ZDF" over 30 years later that she and her two companions  had to hold themselves over water  for about 4-5 hours, over 3 sea miles until they reached Ko Samui. Afterwards, they immediately alerted the police.

 

Very strong and brave girls in their 20s!

 

Another interesting a bit disturbing excerpt from this article and new detail for me:

 

„A police  official on Samui Island who refused to identify himself when contacted by telephone, said 107 passengers were rescued …"

 

The newspaper clipping says "an overnight ferry", and furthermore talks about that "the ferry left Pha Ngan about 11 pm and was hit by a squall two hours later" with most of the passengers asleep, and that three foreign German women in their 20s swam to Samui. Furthermore that it was a two-deck ferry carrying dried coconuts and tourists (only three foreigners, according to the article).

 

These facts indicates that it was not one of the larger car ferries, but rather the slow so-called "night boat", might be something like this one sailing between Koh Samui and Surat Thani combined freight and passengers. The sign on the boat said "No. passenger 100 persons". Photo is from an early morning at 6 am in Nathon, 2009, when the night boat arrives from Surat Thani, I think it departs 11 pm, so a 7 hours boat ride...

 

 

The larger car ferries departing from Don Sak, about one hour car drive from Surat Thani, use 1½ hour for the trip, but the distance is shorter than from Surat Thani, from where the night boats depart.

 

The night boats might still sail, one of them were in background in some later photos from Nathon piers a few years ago (could be 6-7 years ago), but I haven't specific checked lately...????

[lavender19]

I remember it well as I had been on the same ferry the week before. I have been on many old unsafe ferries all over Asia. But that was one of scariest. Especially coming into the estuary at Surat Thani. The currents were all over the place. Not a pleasant experience. Would not do it again

[sathornlover]

Many thanks for the very helpful hints so far!

 

According to an article in the Bangkok Post of 17.4.87, the three girls are being awarded for rescuing and hospitalising over 90 Thai passengers by alerting the authorities.  Furthermore, TAT had donated a one-week trip to the three girls, during which they can choose their own destinations.

The brave girls and their responsible behaviour, which may have saved the lives of so many people, are also rightly celebrated in the German media.

 

There are still some newspaper articles from that time documenting the discovery of more dead missing persons.

What I miss in the English and German language reporting, however, are photos or more detailed reports over the 90-100 people rescued.

The question of how these people were able to stay over water at night, 3 sea miles from the coast, despite strong waves for more than probably 5-6 hours, has not been answered satisfactorily from my point of view ...

 

[katana]

Tried a Google search in Thai for any Thai language reports of the incident but nothing turned up.
Guess it predates the internet by a few years. Did turn up quite a few later ferry capsizings in the area, so I guess it's not an unknown event there.

[PadPrikKhing]

Wow, when I stop and think about it, I could have easily died in Thailand in 1988. My buddy and I got on a ferry at Surat Thani to go to Koh Samui.  The weather was rainy and the water was kind of choppy. The ferry left, and after about 10 minutes, it turned around and went back to Surat Thani—the word was that the captain felt the sea was too dangerous and noped out (thank you, unknown responsible captain!). The rain did continue to get more and more intense that afternoon.

 

My friend and I ended up having to get a hotel room in Surat Thani, and the next morning we got a newspaper and learned that the rains had been so heavy and torrential that they had washed away a couple of villages in the area with major landslides, killing a bunch of people. It seems like a fair guess that the ferry could have easily capsized and sunk if the weather was radical enough to do that. I'll always be grateful that that particular ferry captain chose caution over profit.

 

I believe that this article mentions the very same disaster:  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02594981 as well as a document I found that said: Between 19 and 24 November 1988, heavy rains triggered massive landslides that affected 16 villages in southern Thailand. Three villages were buried under 1 to 3 in of sand and debris. All of Thailand's eastern coastal provinces from Chumpom to Narathiwat were affected. The 1988 floods were particularly unusual because disastrous floods were previously rare in southern Thailand. Total damages from the flood were estimated to be 7 357 million baht (Nutalaya 1991)1. The severe floods also caused the death of 373 people, injured hundreds and rendered thousands homeless in Nakorn Srithammarat Province.

Edited June 28, 2021 by PadPrikKhing

[Anony Mouse]

I was on living the islands at the time, was very well connected to locals and officials, and I am well familiar with the details of the incident because I met the girls as they were leaving the country. I do know that there was an initial attempt to hide or play down everything, followed by an the first official press release from local officials that was full of misinformation, which covered up the details, credited the wrong people and gave no credit to the German girls. The Thai government finally had to acknowledge and credit the German girls, when they could no longer suppress the information, and it was evident that they played a major role in saving dozens of lives.

[Anony Mouse]

On 6/28/2021 at 4:35 PM, sathornlover said:

The question of how these people were able to stay over water at night, 3 sea miles from the coast, despite strong waves for more than probably 5-6 hours, has not been answered satisfactorily from my point of view ...

 

They were able to stay afloat and survive for hours in the stormy sea by clutching on to the sacks of coconut husks, which are naturally buoyant. These ferries were typically overloaded with such cargo.