A 22-year-old Thai man has been charged after allegedly taking a fishing boat from Nai Yang beach in northern Phuket and ending up in rough sea conditions, which overturned and sank the vessel.

Piyawat Pimolpattanakul, from Lampang in northern Thailand, was rescued after the boat was located about four nautical miles off the island in the Andaman Sea. Sakhu police said he faces charges of theft and operating the vessel without a licence.

Search launched off Nai Yang beach

The trawler was seen on Sunday off Nai Yang beach in tambon Sakhu, Thalang district. It appeared that there might be nobody aboard.

Sakhu police were joined by the boat's two owners and volunteer rescue workers in a search for the vessel. Hours later, they found it around four nautical miles from Phuket.

Mr Piyawat was found floating nearby and was brought to safety, police said. The incident followed large waves which sank the trawler after he had headed out to sea.

Nai Yang, on Phuket's northwest coast, is close to the island's airport and is a familiar area for visitors using nearby beaches and resorts.

Police say boat was taken from the beach

According to the Association of Mass Communication News Radio and Television Facebook page, Mr Piyawat did not explain to police why he took the fishing boat, which had been moored at Nai Yang beach.

He did say that he encountered rough seas and then lost control of the vessel. The ongoing investigation is being handled by Sakhu police.

Pictures courtesy of NBT

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21 July 2026

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When the jet ski rentals are too expensive, so you just borrow a whole trawler instead. 💸

Was it the Canadian who took an ambulance last week?

Always wanted to captain a boat...

How many people lost their livelihoods over that idiot's actions? A 22 year old isn't going to have the funds to pay it back so the owners are going to lose millions of baht through no fault of their own. It might have been better for the imbecile if he went down with the ship.