Search continues for British woman, Thai crew following dive boat sinking

[webfact]

Following the sinking of a dive boat in Phang Nga, a British tourist and a Thai woman, understood to have been a member of the crew, remain missing.

 

The British woman has been named as 57 year old Millie Young, from Brighton, England.

 

The Sawan Tour Reggae Queen dive boat sank in strong winds in the Surin Islands National Park at around 11pm on Friday night. The boat was carrying 18 tourists to Khao Lak when it capsized near Koh Torinla.

 

By Peter Roche

PHOTO: Facebook/Andaman Snorkel Discovery

 

Full story: PhuketGO 2023-12-26

 

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[webfact]

British Tourist and Thai Cooker Missing after Diving Boat Capsized in Phang Nga
By Goongnang Suksawat

 

 

Phang Nga-A search has continued for a British tourist and a Thai cook after a diving boat capsized near an island in the Khura Buri district.

 

The Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command told the Phuket Express that The search has continued since Saturday (December 23rd) with both a marine and air search.

 

A life raft which is believed to have come from the diving boat was found near the Tachai Island in the Thai Mueang district, about 20 nautical miles from the incident.

 

The two missing people have been identified as a female British tourist identified only as Valeria and a female Thai cook named Lamai.

 

Full story: THE PHUKET EXPRESS 2023-12-26

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[2baht]

I can see a pattern forming here...how many capsizes so far in the past week??? Did'nt they make tourist safety a priority??? Make way for the cripple creek ferry! 

[1duckyboy]

There have been warnings to boaters since last week about the high winds. Ignore at your own peril.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The Sawan Tour Reggae Queen dive boat sank in strong winds in the Surin Islands National Park at around 11pm on Friday night. The boat was carrying 18 tourists to Khao Lak when it capsized near Koh Torinla.

Safety first Thailand strikes again.

[Phil1964]

Is that 4 boat / ferry accidents in a week?

Chinese social media reporting these then that's going to hit!!

[2baht]

1 minute ago, hotchilli said:

Safety first Thailand strikes again.

Only to be out done by pure greed! Are they really Buddhists??? Really??? 

[hotchilli]

3 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Only to be out done by pure greed! Are they really Buddhists??? Really??? 

For 5 minutes on a Sunday.. then normal service resumes.

[2baht]

Just now, hotchilli said:

For 5 minutes on a Sunday.. then normal service resumes.

Bahtists....Bahtism....Lord Baht! 

[VinnieK]

It was windy af in the last couple if days here on the Songkla coast.

Biggest waves so far this year

Satun is less affected though

[hotchilli]

12 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Bahtists....Bahtism....Lord Baht! 

Ohhhh Buddha !

[2baht]

37 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Ohhhh Buddha !

Oh ha loi! 

[lavender19]

It's gone very quiet on the other two ferries sinking 

[Tropicalevo]

2 hours ago, Phil1964 said:

Is that 4 boat / ferry accidents in a week?

Chinese social media reporting these then that's going to hit!!

Seven according to Thai PBS with at least one more since that report.

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/seven-boats-sink-in-gulf-and-andaman-sea-in-four-days-eight-people-still-missing/

[brianthainess]

Ms. Goon's Translation again "Thai cooker missing" was it a Wok or a rice steamer. If it wasn't so tragic I'd put a laugh emoji.

[VBF]

9 hours ago, 1duckyboy said:

There have been warnings to boaters since last week about the high winds. Ignore at your own peril.

Indeed, but the dive operators are supposed to be professional enough to take heed of such warnings and cancel trips if necessary. 

However.....TIT.

[Captor]

18 hours ago, Phil1964 said:

Is that 4 boat / ferry accidents in a week?

Chinese social media reporting these then that's going to hit!!

7

Edited December 26, 2023 by Captor

[scubascuba3]

Hopefully the diving lady had time to put her BCD on and is floating somewhere, the other possibility is the list of passengers is wrong

[VBF]

11 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Hopefully the diving lady had time to put her BCD on and is floating somewhere, the other possibility is the list of passengers is wrong

Agree...sadly, some of the less-professional dive outfits don't pay much attention to Admin!

[McTavish]

On 12/26/2023 at 2:43 AM, webfact said:

Following the sinking of a dive boat in Phang Nga, a British tourist and a Thai woman, understood to have been a member of the crew, remain missing.

 

The British woman has been named as 57 year old Millie Young, from Brighton, England.

 

The Sawan Tour Reggae Queen dive boat sank in strong winds in the Surin Islands National Park at around 11pm on Friday night. The boat was carrying 18 tourists to Khao Lak when it capsized near Koh Torinla.

 

By Peter Roche

PHOTO: Facebook/Andaman Snorkel Discovery

 

Full story: PhuketGO 2023-12-26

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

"Sawan" appears to be unsuited for open waters of Phang Nga bay.  She is narrow in the beam, high wooded and I daresay of fairly shallow draft and with a single engine.

 

High windage, pax all topside on aft deck + poor seamanship would likely cause a high centre of gravity and capsize the vessel. 

An avoidable accident if Western maritime safety rules and regulations were in place and followed, even loosely.

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, McTavish said:

"Sawan" appears to be unsuited for open waters of Phang Nga bay.  She is narrow in the beam, high wooded and I daresay of fairly shallow draft and with a single engine.

 

High windage, pax all topside on aft deck + poor seamanship would likely cause a high centre of gravity and capsize the vessel. 

An avoidable accident if Western maritime safety rules and regulations were in place and followed, even loosely.

They were my immediate thoughts as well. And what on earth was a dive boat doing out in rough seas at 11pm?

[gomangosteen]

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

They were my immediate thoughts as well. And what on earth was a dive boat doing out in rough seas at 11pm?

It's a liveaboard dive boat, 3 nights at sea.