Sunken Containers and Skeletal Remains Discovered Offshore

[raro]

I very much appreciate the mods cleaning and mopping up this thread, but could consideration be also given to continued cleaning and mopping up of posts that somehow think a hundred dead bodies is something to make a joke about?

Thank you.

guess you meant "posters" here and I am 100% with you...

[monkfish]

Any English language news threads on this story? Can't seam to find anything

[iforget]

Any English language news threads on this story? Can't seam to find anything

Couldn't find any myself, and I've been looking for three days, since the very first, brief reports appeared. It's all very mysterious. Last night's TV report stated that the containers were still sealed - so if the skulls came from them, how did they get out? Also, it was pointed out that sinking a sealed container is pretty much impossible - with the air inside, they just keep bobbing on the surface. Yet here we have, in one case, three containers sitting neatly together on the bottom, all sealed. The conclusion would seem to be that someone went to the trouble of opening the containerrs, sinking them, then sealing them. But then, the skulls.....

[LivinginKata]

A number of off topic posts & tasteless remarks have been removed. Let's keep to the OT folks.

[crudy21]

Strange story, you would think the world press would be right on to it!

[john b good]

Surely there should be more news reports on this?

ARE you kidding?? This sort of thing (if it gets out) is not good for tourism. Well is it ?

[raro]

Any English language news threads on this story? Can't seam to find anything

Couldn't find any myself, and I've been looking for three days, since the very first, brief reports appeared. It's all very mysterious. Last night's TV report stated that the containers were still sealed - so if the skulls came from them, how did they get out? Also, it was pointed out that sinking a sealed container is pretty much impossible - with the air inside, they just keep bobbing on the surface. Yet here we have, in one case, three containers sitting neatly together on the bottom, all sealed. The conclusion would seem to be that someone went to the trouble of opening the containerrs, sinking them, then sealing them. But then, the skulls.....

It is correct that containers are quite watertight and float for a while...unless you drill holes in them

[crudy21]

Surely there should be more news reports on this?

ARE you kidding?? This sort of thing (if it gets out) is not good for tourism. Well is it ?

Not really the sort of thing you can keep quiet.

[KhaoNiaw]

Any English language news threads on this story? Can't seam to find anything

The TV show that's been going with the story is ข่าว 3 มิติ on Channel 3 about 10.30 pm, every day except Tuesday. It's a programme that looks behind current news and does some limited investigative features into other long-running, almost-forgotten, or little-known stories, which they often run over a number of days.

In this case, they're following up on the stories that locals have been telling about the containers and finding the skulls over a period of years, so it's not 'hot' news as such. But it could become so when/if real discoveries are made.

Edited May 7, 2009 by KhaoNiaw

[john b good]

Any English language news threads on this story? Can't seam to find anything

Couldn't find any myself, and I've been looking for three days, since the very first, brief reports appeared. It's all very mysterious. Last night's TV report stated that the containers were still sealed - so if the skulls came from them, how did they get out? Also, it was pointed out that sinking a sealed container is pretty much impossible - with the air inside, they just keep bobbing on the surface. Yet here we have, in one case, three containers sitting neatly together on the bottom, all sealed. The conclusion would seem to be that someone went to the trouble of opening the containerrs, sinking them, then sealing them. But then, the skulls.....

Again, do you think that sea containers are gonna be still floating after 17 years

They might if they were completely welded and hydrotested but otherwise "no way Jose"

[basjke]

It's very hard for conventional ships to drop sea containers safely and quickly over the side. Heavy cranes and powerful winches are needed, very low vessel free board and possibly an open stern. These attributes are not easily found on conventional container ships (that rely on port facilities to move containers), oilfield supply vessels (cranes not heavy enough) or fishing boats (just too small).

However, military amphibious landing craft....

What a load of shyt (that you have written)

I am not saying that it happened this way or indeed that it happened at all but on one of my recent project's we had heavy lift ships with a lifting capacity of at least 4,000 tonnes.

You need to go back to your "tonka toys"

Wow!! 4000 tons = at least 200 cars in one go, they must be meen ass lifts!!

they are mean ass lifts and those ships do exist.If that is still not enough, get a floating crane to assist.

/edit: still I doubt that a regular liner would accept a job tossing containers into the sea. without asking lots of questions. The landing craft theory sounds much more plausible for the time being. Even if they do not have own cranes it is no big deal putting a mobile crane on board.

Maybe I'm not the smartest but what would you think about those platforms they use to transport vehicles from one side of the river to the other side with the containers with an anchor attached?Just drop the anchor and keep cruising.

[Basil B]

I still say, whether these containers were dropped off a container ship, fishing boat, pontoon, barge or warship there would have been so many people involved in filling the containers, loading them on a vessel and dumping them at sea you just could not keep the story secret.

Just wonder if it was the Khmer Rouge when the killing fields got full?

[a99az]

I would like the truth out to h-ll with what it could or could not do for tourist dollars. Shame on you.

[basjke]

I still say, whether these containers were dropped off a container ship, fishing boat, pontoon, barge or warship there would have been so many people involved in filling the containers, loading them on a vessel and dumping them at sea you just could not keep the story secret.

Just wonder if it was the Khmer Rouge when the killing fields got full?

Ever thought about that the people involved loading may have ended up inside the container?

[kenai]

Did anyone watch this program? I saw part of it - I did not see any skeletal remains, they did dive down to a container. I did not watch all of it though so maybe missed something?

I remain a skeptic. There have no doubt been some very bad things done here I'm sure - I just know that containers falling off ships is not really rare and fisherman would find more fish around them since the fish like the structure. A container can sink like a rock or float awhile depends on the contents - right?

[john b good]

I still say, whether these containers were dropped off a container ship, fishing boat, pontoon, barge or warship there would have been so many people involved in filling the containers, loading them on a vessel and dumping them at sea you just could not keep the story secret.

Just wonder if it was the Khmer Rouge when the killing fields got full?

Secret ???

It is clearly not a secret if 70,000 ++ folk on TV have the opportunity to see it (well is it)

[john b good]

I still say, whether these containers were dropped off a container ship, fishing boat, pontoon, barge or warship there would have been so many people involved in filling the containers, loading them on a vessel and dumping them at sea you just could not keep the story secret.

Just wonder if it was the Khmer Rouge when the killing fields got full?

Ever thought about that the people involved loading may have ended up inside the container?

That could have happened but I think that you have been reading too many Stephen King novels

[LPCustom69]

Especially as the picture of the skull appears to have a bullet hole in it.

I just saw Thai TV news and they sent out divers to check the containers. There are indeed skeletal remains around the containers and the news reader said that they are possibly related to deaths from to the troubles in Bangkok some years ago. They will bring up the containers over the next few days, so I suppose we will get some factual information at that point.

Cheers, Rick

i saw a report from Channel 3 last night where one of their own reporters went out on a fishing boat, donned his dive gear & went down with a film crew and filmed everything at the container site.

there will be no sweeping this one under the carpet now.....

[KhaoNiaw]

Did anyone watch this program? I saw part of it - I did not see any skeletal remains, they did dive down to a container. I did not watch all of it though so maybe missed something?

During the dive they didn't turn up any remains, but they weren't diving at the site where skulls have turned up. It's only one of the three sites where skulls have been found - according to local fishermen. Fair to say that a definite connection between containers and skulls has yet to be determined.

[timekeeper]

Did anyone watch this program? I saw part of it - I did not see any skeletal remains, they did dive down to a container. I did not watch all of it though so maybe missed something?

During the dive they didn't turn up any remains, but they weren't diving at the site where skulls have turned up. It's only one of the three sites where skulls have been found - according to local fishermen. Fair to say that a definite connection between containers and skulls has yet to be determined.

my wife made the observation that what if the containers were used as makeshift holding pens for prisoners and they decided to dispose of all the problems in one go.

she said its not unknown in Thailand

she also wondered if the people inside were alive when the containers entered the water.

she does have a mind for the ghoulish, too many Thai horror movies..........

[donna]

yet more off topic posts have been removed.

please stick to the topic at hand folks and stop the abuse and name calling.

[raro]

Did anyone watch this program? I saw part of it - I did not see any skeletal remains, they did dive down to a container. I did not watch all of it though so maybe missed something?

I remain a skeptic. There have no doubt been some very bad things done here I'm sure - I just know that containers falling off ships is not really rare and fisherman would find more fish around them since the fish like the structure. A container can sink like a rock or float awhile depends on the contents - right?

Containers do fall from ships in heavy seas, but it doesn't happen that often. I doubt that the sea gets that rough enough in the gulf of Thailand that this could happen.

Containers will always float. The maximum weight of a 20'er is about 30 tons (including the container) and the volume is 33 cbm. This gives even a very heavily loaded container about 3 tons of lift. For 40'ers the weight/volume ratio is even lower.

Again, they are not 100% watertight but well sealed and it takes a while for them to sink unless you drill holes in the walls.

[Humphrey Bear]

Beg to differ on the floating bit.

Some containers just have a tarpaulin top and would sink straight away.

Others have damage and if this does not affect stacking they may be still in use.

There are ships withtheir own craneage on board - visiting small ports with jetty-like facilities rather than container-cargo berths.

As I understand things - so far there is little or no evidenc that the containers and any skeletal remains have forensic links, so this is all speculation.

[CGW]

Containers will sink fairly quickly in moderate seas, in heavy seas, very quickly, the shifting cargo will quickly punch holes or damage doors. (I work for the largest container company in the world)

[Screws]

I still say, whether these containers were dropped off a container ship, fishing boat, pontoon, barge or warship there would have been so many people involved in filling the containers, loading them on a vessel and dumping them at sea you just could not keep the story secret.

One of to 'concerning' things about this place is the number of 'public secrets' there are out there - think about it - swampy corruption, now this, etc etc etc. Doubt it was Khmer Rouge but the truth will out.

P.S. Regular containers will sink within hours, to a few days at most.

[thesyndicate]

So this is real news or just some dump crash test dummies in the sea?

I just check the news and they did not say anything about it. It is real or a big cover up i mean a few 100 bodies would be on the BBC by now if anyone can confirm it.

[sriracha john]

DSI takes new look at skeleton claim

Reports that shipping containers containing more than 100 human skeletons have been found on the seabed in Chonburi will be investigated by the Department of Special Investigation. DSI Chief Thawee Sodsong said investigators had looked into the report previously, after receiving reports that containers containing the skeletons had been found off Sattahip, but they had found nothing.

As the rumours had resurfaced in the media, the DSI would take another look, he said. Police Colonel Weerasak Meenakanit said he would head the new investigation.

Scuba divers claim to have come across a large number of skulls on the seabed during a coral reef adventure dive. They reported the find to the media. DSI Chief for Foreign Affairs Songsak Raksakul said a human trafficking network might be responsible.

Continued:

-- Bangkok Post 2009-05-08

[RusticCharm]

Very surprised the internaional media haven't picked up on this.

Containers full of skeletons and seabed strewn with human skulls.

TIT!

[mauGR1]

I could be wrong,but i think this is the kind of mysterious story that nobody will thoroughly investigate.

[soundman]

Inflamatory posts have been removed.

Please post in civil manner.