An Indian tourist was rescued from the sea off South Pattaya, on the evening of 22 July after suffering cramp and becoming too exhausted to swim to shore.

The middle-aged man had entered the water near the old pier area when he developed cramp and began calling for help. He was later taken to hospital for treatment and is safe, officials said.

Passing speedboat crew steps in

As the tourist struggled in the water, people on the beach threw objects towards him in an attempt to give him something to hold on to.

With the man close to exhaustion, the speedboat Mr.Bank 262 happened to be passing the area and immediately moved in to help.

Two crew members jumped into the sea and supported the tourist while the boat's driver brought the vessel alongside. The crew then helped bring him onboard, to the relief of people who had watched the rescue unfold.

Taken to hospital after rescue

Pattaya City's Special Affairs officials contacted rescuers from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Pattaya City Foundation, who arrived with an emergency vehicle.

Rescue staff assessed the tourist's condition, provided initial first aid and took him to hospital for further treatment.

Officials said the incident was caused by cramp while the tourist was swimming. Because assistance arrived quickly, there were no serious injuries and the situation later returned to normal.

What visitors should keep in mind

The rescue is a reminder for foreign visitors and expats using Pattaya's beaches that cramp and fatigue can quickly make it difficult to return to shore, even close to the beach.

Swimmers who get into difficulty should call for help as early as possible, avoid swimming alone where possible and stay within their limits. People assisting from shore should alert authorities or nearby boat crews promptly rather than attempting a risky rescue themselves.

Video courtesy of แจ็ค โพธิ์แดง

Join the discussion?

24 July 2026

View full article

Did he enter by the large effluent/ drainage pipe that was always in that area?

Not an area for swimming!

It was a priapism, which is why it was so difficult to drag him onto the boat. It looked like some of the people on shore were throwing rocks at him.

1 hour ago, flaming dragon said:

It was a priapism, which is why it was so difficult to drag him onto the boat. It looked like some of the people on shore were throwing rocks at him.

What kind of priapism was it to you reckon ? Was it a ischemic [ low flow } priapism , a non ischemic { high flow } priapism or a recurring { stuttereing } priapism ???

A lifeguard would have helped, but that’s another warning for those visiting Thai beaches. Very few around. Good on the guys in the boat for rescuing him.

Great Story. A lot of negative news from Pattaya

Always great to read about how Thai people will help when you need it. At least I've never had one say No to any reasonable request for assistance.

A happy ending to a very dangerous situation

Credit to the rescuers and I hope the man recovers fully

Off topic posts and replies removed @PoorSucker

Low-Value Posts Reminder.

Posts that add no written contribution harm the forum and reduce its value for readers and search engines.

This includes:

2–3 word replies

Emoji-only posts

Memes or GIFs with no explanation or context.

Screenshots with no supporting text

Embedded social media posts with no comment or opinion

Youtube videos with no explanation or comment

If your post does not explain, add context, or express a view in your own words, it has no value here.

What happens next

Any such content will be removed without notice

Repeat posting of this type may lead to further moderation action

If you want to post a meme, image, or screenshot, add a short explanation or your view.

If you have nothing to add in text, don’t post.

16 hours ago, wavodavo said:

What kind of priapism was it to you reckon ? Was it a ischemic [ low flow } priapism , a non ischemic { high flow } priapism or a recurring { stuttereing } priapism ???

From the footage I saw all of the above!

Am I the only one who had to look at that picture a few times to figure out he was holding his arms?