Picture courtesy of Alice Zamparelli/TikTok

 

A tourist's dream holiday took a turn when her luggage, along with that of several other passengers, was swept out to sea during a ferry trip in Thailand. Served by what she described as an "incompetent" crew, Alice Zamparelli witnessed her belongings floating away during a journey from Koh Tao to Koh Samui. Her TikTok video revealing suitcases bobbing in the waves quickly went viral, highlighting a shocking lapse in securing luggage on the vessel.

 

The incident occurred due to rough sea conditions and allegedly unsecured bags on the upper deck of the ferry. Zamparelli lamented the loss on social media, claiming she recovered 50,000 Thai baht (around £1,100) through persistent negotiation. Unfortunately, some passengers had a different outcome, missing flights and receiving no compensation, reported Daily Mail UK.

 

Picture courtesy of Alice Zamparelli/TikTok

 

In her commentary, Zamparelli expressed frustration with the ferry staff, who underestimated the value of luggage, capped at 20,000 baht (£444). She argued that their disbelief stemmed from differing perceptions of value between Thailand and Western nations. Her persistence was key, leading to the compensation she received, although she described the sum as insufficient for the worth of her belongings.

 

Video LINK

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Koh Samui | Thailand | Travel (@samui.travelers)

 

 

Key Takeaways

 

• Passengers' luggage was lost at sea due to rough waters and alleged improper storage.
• Compensation for lost belongings varied, with some passengers getting nothing.
• The route between Koh Tao and Koh Samui is known for challenging conditions.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Daily Mail UK 2025-11-26

 

 

 

This sucks!

Ooops

Incidents like this also underline the importance to remember to have a travel insurance...

Will TAT be using the video in their next global advertising campaign?

1 hour ago, JimHuaHin said:

Will TAT be using the video in their next global advertising campaign?

Amazing Thailand, We wash your bags for free?

2 hours ago, khunPer said:

Incidents like this also underline the importance to remember to have a travel insurance...

Or travel with only a backpack that you always wear when travelling.

One outfit on you, a spare in your backpack.

Wash and hang out anything dirty in your sink every evening.

That's worked for me over the past 20 years.

Just be glad it's your luggage in the water, and not you...that would be about par for any ferry/boat/vessel here.

 

14 hours ago, BritManToo said:

One outfit on you, a spare in your backpack.

Wash and hang out anything dirty in your sink every evening.

That's worked for me over the past 20 years.

And, 295 baht compensation for tank top, shorts, and flip flops.  

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 surprise, surprise, TIT.

Yes my LV bag had 500k in cash in it , my 2 spare Rolex watches , my apple tablet , phone & laptop  👍

These tourists might well consider themselves to be extremely fortunate that it was their luggage swept out to sea and not themselves.

TIT

17 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

Will TAT be using the video in their next global advertising campaign?

And why wouldn't they! As a warning perhaps?

23 hours ago, webfact said:

an "incompetent" crew

Better than their bodies.

Tourist (luggage) attempted suicide on trip from Death Island prevented by Thai sailors.

19 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

Will TAT be using the video in their next global advertising campaign?

Here's where your 300 thb entry fee will not help you.....buy baggage insurance...TAT=Trial After Turbulence

3 hours ago, NedR69 said:

Just be glad it's your luggage in the water, and not you...that would be about par for any ferry/boat/vessel here.

 

And, 295 baht compensation for tank top, shorts, and flip flops.  

I was thinking the same thing.What would a young  weatern lady wear  when on holiday in Thailand ? I would say maybe Elephant pants , shorts , t-shirt hat  and thongs.Wouldn't cost much at the market to replace.Even if she had travel  insurance it wouldn't be worth lodging a claim. She's gotta stop whinging and put it down to experience.

As unfortunate as this is, at least they didn't end themselves in the rough sea 😕 

26 minutes ago, wavodavo said:

I was thinking the same thing.What would a young  weatern lady wear  when on holiday in Thailand ? I would say maybe Elephant pants , shorts , t-shirt hat  and thongs.Wouldn't cost much at the market to replace.Even if she had travel  insurance it wouldn't be worth lodging a claim. She's gotta stop whinging and put it down to experience.

I wouldn't be putting something like this down to experience. I'd be milking these people for every baht I could get out of them.

2 hours ago, Homburg said:

These tourists might well consider themselves to be extremely fortunate that it was their luggage swept out to sea and not themselves.

TIT

 

Not relevant.

9 minutes ago, Spock said:

I wouldn't be putting something like this down to experience. I'd be milking these people for every baht I could get out of them.

 

36 minutes ago, wavodavo said:

I was thinking the same thing.What would a young  weatern lady wear  when on holiday in Thailand ? I would say maybe Elephant pants , shorts , t-shirt hat  and thongs.Wouldn't cost much at the market to replace.Even if she had travel  insurance it wouldn't be worth lodging a claim. She's gotta stop whinging and put it down to experience.

 

Not your business to be assuming what anybody wears.

I travel with a really good acoustic guitar, losing that would have crushed me. Fortunately, not unlike plane crashes, statistically these things are rare. That said, on the ferry to Koh Larn my suitcase and guitar travel close to me wherever I sit. 

On 11/26/2025 at 9:43 AM, Taboo2 said:

This sucks!

So does Thailand... 

Been on a boat trip to James Bond island that cancelled and turned around due to rough waters, sometimes the sea reminds us we are meant to walk on land.

As a certified Captain in the US, I can say two things.  1. Rough seas can be sudden and can be very dangerous.  2.  Boat crews should know this and not become lazy because most other trips are smooth.  
TIT -- do nothing more than absolutely necessary.  
Is anyone really surprised by this??

1 hour ago, Spock said:

I wouldn't be putting something like this down to experience. I'd be milking these people for every baht I could get out of them.

You gottarememger this is Thailand not US , Australia , uk or Europe where gov. regulations compells travellers to be compensated properly for loss of bags or cancelled flights etc. No such thing in Thailand.

 

22 hours ago, khunPer said:

Incidents like this also underline the importance to remember to have a travel insurance...

Disagree with you here.

I recommend travel insurance for expensive costs like repatriation, hospital, etc. In general the value of luggage is not that big, and premiums for it are relatively high.

Profit again over safety 🛟 

And care and  due diligence! 

23 hours ago, khunPer said:

Incidents like this also underline the importance to remember to have a travel insurance...

Especially get insurance from India. They must pay out willy nilly on gold necklaces like it's a standard claim and no questions asked!

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

 

Not your business to be assuming what anybody wears.

Why the thumbs down emoji? Care to share?

On 11/26/2025 at 9:40 AM, webfact said:

Passengers' luggage was lost at sea due to rough waters and alleged improper storage.

 I wonder if any of the luggage included one of these (backpack available on e-bay)