One Dead as Fishing Boat Catches Fire and Sinks Off Surat Thani Coast

Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

A dramatic rescue unfolded off the coast of Surat Thani after a fishing trawler caught fire and sank during rough sea conditions, leaving one crew member dead and others forced to jump overboard to save their lives.

At around 15:00 on 23 June, Vice Admiral Nares Wongtrakul, Director of the Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Sorn Chon) Region 2, ordered an immediate response following a distress call from the owner of the trawler Chotiaphinan 15. The vessel had caught fire and subsequently sunk while fishing alongside a sister boat, Chotiaphinan 56, in the Gulf of Thailand.

Coordinates placed the incident approximately 13 nautical miles from the Tha Chana pier in Surat Thani province, at 9°39.794’N, 99°26.073’E.

Three crew members were aboard the Chotiaphinan 15 when the fire broke out. One of them, a 64-year-old mechanic named Mr. Songwut, was found unconscious after the incident. He was quickly transferred to the nearby Chotiaphinan 56 and evacuated aboard the fast-response vessel Sorn Chon 4003, dispatched by the Maritime Enforcement Unit in Surat Thani. Mr. Songwut was pronounced dead en route to Don Sak Hospital.

Initial investigations suggest the blaze originated in the engine room and spread rapidly, giving the crew no time to extinguish it. All three crewmen were forced to leap into the sea to avoid the flames. The fire soon engulfed the vessel completely, which sank shortly after.

Strong winds and rough seas complicated the rescue operation, but swift coordination between maritime enforcement officers and nearby vessels prevented further loss of life.

The body of the deceased was brought ashore by Sorn Chon 4003 and handed over to relevant authorities for further investigation and formal procedures.

Authorities are continuing their inquiry into the precise cause of the fire.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khoasod 2025-06-25