The 76 crew and passengers, mostly foreign tourists, on a ferry shuttling between a pier on mainland Surat Thani to the Koh Tao resort island in the Gulf of Thailand, were rescued on Friday morning, after the engine of the boat failed mid-voyage and water began to flow into the vessel.

 

The skipper of the Saengdee Maneesap 111 vessel sent a distress signal to the Koh Pha-ngan district office emergency unit and the police seeking emergency help. The boat was floating about seven kilometres from Koh Tao. The water pump had also failed.

 

The ferry, carrying passengers and cargo, had left Surat Thani late last night.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2023-12-22

 

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1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

after the engine of the boat failed mid-voyage and water began to flow into the vessel.

So the well serviced vessel had a leak and since the engine stopped working the pump didn't work either.

 

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

The boat was floating about seven kilometres from Koh Tao. The water pump had also failed.

Thank god everyone was saved. I pass on boat trips around here.

70 Tourists Rescued After Night Boat Founders Off Koh Tao
by TNR Staff

 

Tourists being rescued from Sandee Maneesap 111 night boat off Koh Tao after it took on water early this morning, Dec. 22, 2023. Photo: Matichon

 

A NIGHT BOAT travelling from Surat Thani to Koh Tao started taking on water after a pump broke down at dawn today (Dec. 22) with 70 tourists, both foreigners and Thais, safely rescued before it later sank, Matichon newspaper said.

 

At 6 a.m. Capt. Natthaphon Sinpoonphon, deputy chief of  Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre in Surat Thani, was alerted of the night boat, or “sleeping boat”, Sandee Maneesap 111 weighing 114.93 gross tons,  foundering but still able to stay afloat approximately 15 nautical miles off Koh Tao.

 

The boat’s crew had requested help to evacuate the passengers and a pump be quickly installed to drain out the water.

 

Later the owner of the night boat, Lomprayah Co. Ltd., sent two high speed boats, Phuyai Hor and Baan Diving, to rescue the tourists and help out.

 

Full story: THAI NEWSROOM 2023-12-23

 

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Is this the much taunted tourist safety we read so much about?

22 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Is this the much taunted tourist safety we read so much about?

Poorly maintained or that's if its ever had maintenance just like most of the ageing vehicles here!

Amazing thailand at work. Every new story is better than the last.i thought they usually waited for you to reach koh tau before murdering you

Just now, HammerGuy said:

Poorly maintained or that's if its ever had maintenance just like most of the ageing vehicles here!

Perhaps the boat owners had never heard the idiom, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". (maintenance be damned, full speed ahead).

48 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Is this the much taunted tourist safety we read so much about?

Safety first... Thailands MO

Good job the ferry was not full of Chinese 'TikTok'ing tourists', or Chinese social media would have killed TAT's latest tourism projection figures stone dead.

 

---merry X-mas & happy new year to all the survivors!

Look at the state of that boat. A bit generous to call that a ferry. Did it start its life as a garbage barge on the Chao Phraya.

call me superstitious on this one ......    it was on the way to Death Island  .. 

Good to see the passengers rescued safely, very happy to read that piece of unseaworthy junk is sitting on the bottom.

How old is that thing. It looks like the same wreck that was upside down at Surat Thani pier

 

Names anonymous I wouldn't want to be sued for defamation because I said the fairy looks like a dumb. 

I just dug out my sick pills for the ferry to koh KUT ... 

34 minutes ago, bdenner said:

Good to see the passengers rescued safely, very happy to read that piece of unseaworthy junk is sitting on the bottom.

Remember where you are, it could be raised and back in operation next week.....

"started taking on water after a pump broke down"

 

This is incorrect: it was already taking on water before the pump stopped working. Obviously it was only the functioning pump which was preventing the boat from filling up with water. 

1 hour ago, Phil1964 said:

Good job the ferry was not full of Chinese 'TikTok'ing tourists', or Chinese social media would have killed TAT's latest tourism projection figures stone dead.

 

 

Are you sure it wasn't? The 76 crew and passengers, mostly foreign tourists...

27 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

Remember where you are, it could be raised and back in operation next week.....

The owners are already at the local hardware store buying a tin of bondo and a can of spray paint be back in operation by tomorrow 

1 hour ago, HammerGuy said:

Poorly maintained or that's if its ever had maintenance just like most of the ageing vehicles here!

Hey! Give them a break. The vessel broke in two and sank now the owner is facing financial hardship. The snores of the sleeping tourists probably weakened the structure. Show some empathy and contribute to the owner's GoFundMe request.😋

 

 

 

 

Just when we think maybe Thailand is not 3rd world, we are reminded again. If you need proof just look at some of the ferries, nearly all of the trains, many of the ancient buses in Bangkok, etc., etc. Sure Bangkok has its modern side. But, no question Thailand is a developing country. Nothing wrong with that. Just being honest about it. 

What is the giant orange vessel? A lifeboat? No mention in the report other than the ferry owner ' later sending two high-speed boats'. Later than what?

This could easily have become a major disaster and should be positively followed up by the Government. No doubt social media input from survivors will cause embarassment.

The report that Khao Tao police will investigate how the ferry broke in two and sank leaves me shaking my head in exasperation.🙄

Wow, this time not the brakes...😂. And now it will go viral...🥴. 

And less visitors?🥺

4 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Wow, this time not the brakes...😂. And now it will go viral...🥴. 

And less visitors?🥺

Maybe.........maybe viral in Thailand, it won't make mainstream  media and will have little effect on international tourist numbers!

Safe and Trusted Thailand, strikes again.   

23 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Maybe.........maybe viral in Thailand, it won't make mainstream  media and will have little effect on international tourist numbers!

Wait and see. Probably in China

2 hours ago, HammerGuy said:

Poorly maintained or that's if its ever had maintenance just like most of the ageing vehicles here!

As Stellios,the owner of Easy Jet (UK) once said " If you think safety /maintenance is expensive try having an accident".

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

call me superstitious on this one ......    it was on the way to Death Island  .. 

Yes,it just needs the spin "76 tourists saved from certain death when fate saved the ferry from reaching it's dangerous destination '

2 hours ago, HammerGuy said:

Poorly maintained or that's if its ever had maintenance just like most of the ageing vehicles here!

maintained?   Please explain meaning.

Whatever happened to the inquest over the RTN ship that sank with loss of life?