2 Foreigners Drown, 2 Others Injured, One Missing In Pattaya Boat Accident

[george]

2 foreigners drown, 2 others injured, one missing in Pattaya boat accident

Pattaya, Chon Buri: -- Two speed boats with foreign tourists collided off Pattaya coast, drowning two Chinese tourists.

Two other foreign tourits were severely injured and a dozen other received minor injuries while another went missing.

The accident happened at 12:30 pm near the Bali Hai Cape pier.

-- The Nation 2009-12-02

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[george]

MCOT reports 2 dead, 16 injured in the speedboat crash.

[BSJ]

Poor buggers. Probably having a great old time and then bam.....it's all over.

[Scott]

My condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. I hope the injured make a full and speedy recovery.

[gotlost]

And we thank that driving on the road way is dangerous.

[TheWalkingMan]

Condolences.

Very sad for all concerned.

Just last month I mentioned to a friend that the boating activities were just an accident waiting to happen.

TheWalkingMan

[h90]

how this could happen!

Very sorry for the people.....

[TheAceFace]

RIP tragic news...and avoidable.

[george]

Update:

Two dead, 14 injured in speedboat crash off Pattaya

CHON BURI: -- Two fully-loaded tourist-laden power boats collided off the resort town of Pattaya, 150 km southeast of Bangkok, killing two persons and injuring 14 others.

The incident occurred off Bali Hai Pier in South Pattaya’s Banglamung district.

Two Chinese tourists were confirmed dead, while 14 injured were taken to a local hospital by the rescue team.

According to the initial investigation, fully loaded speedboats owned by the New Friend Company and S. Taweechok, carrying tourists from China, South Korea and Russia, were heading to Ko Lan, an important tourist destination island near Pattaya, when they collided at high speed. Both speedboats quickly sank into the sea.

Sixteen passengers were on New Friend’s speedboat, while the number of tourists in the other boat has not been determined. Rescuers are searching for missing persons.

-- TNA 2009-12-02

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[Briggsy]

This is certainly not the first time that tourists have lost their lives in odd and unexplained accidents at sea on the day trip to Ko Lan. It seems to be Koreans, Chinese & Russians that seem to be the ones dying.

[h90]

anyone any idea how this could happen?

It sounds almost impossible or?

[webfact]

2 Chinese tourists killed in Pattaya speed boat accident

By The Nation

Chon Buri

A speed boat collision 100 meters off the Southern Pattaya shore Wednesday afternoon killed two Chinese men, injured 15 others while one person remained missing.

The accident happened at 12:30 pm near the Bali Hai Cape pier. Muang Pattaya Police officers and rescue workers rushed to the scene where a one-engine speed boat namely Thawatchainamchok 7 collided with the other one-engine speed boat namely Sor Newfrans.

While the former - with 29 tourists from China, South Korea and Taiwan onboard along with a tour guide and a boat driver - sunk right away into the sea bottom, the other boat - with 13 tourists from Middle East, England and Russia along with two boat drivers - stuck onto the shallow water 30 meters offshore.

Two Chinese tourists, who died on the way to a hospital, were identified as Zheng Honglu, 57, and Chen Ding Chan, 50.

Chinese Tour guide Thavee Saejong said that he and the Asian tourists were on the Thawatchainamchok 7 boat heading from Koh Lan towards the Pattaya shore, while the Sor Newfran boat heading towards Koh Lan for scuba diving collided with their boat out of the blue.

Muang Pattaya deputy superintendent Pol Lt Col Chanapat Nawalak said the initial police investigation found that the two boats drove in the opposite direction to one another, arriving at and departing from the pier, when a side of Sor Newfran boat hit the other boat's rear, causing both boats to break and sink. Police was aiming to press the charge of reckless driving causing other people's deaths and injuries against both boats' drivers.

-- The Nation 2009/12/2

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[JR Texas]

anyone any idea how this could happen?

It sounds almost impossible or?

I can tell you how it most likely happened: racing each other and being macho and not paying attention to boat safety.

I don't know why the police don't do something about it.........that might be a "crackdown" that makes sense.

The boat drivers are often young males who have the same mentality as the young males who drive motorcycles in and out of traffic at high speeds. The end result is predictable: accident or worse deaths.

This sort of thing is preventable........it should not happen so frequently.

Of course, I am jumping to conclusions...........nobody knows for sure what happened.

[Pdaz]

Well you'll find that very few mainland Chinese are swimmers.. Not that it would be a factor if they had been wearing lifevests.. ( I'm assuming they drown and not killed by the impact)

As usual safety is way down on the priority list.. Lack of enforcement, lack of decent licencing and training.. lack of ability and accountability too for that matter.. Having witnessed Thai driving cars and scooters why would expect then to be any better at the helm of a boat ?

Pointless deaths..

[neverdie]

The Pattaya news reads like a horror story, EVERY DAY. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased and the injured victims, I wish them a speedy recovery.

[eljeque]

You may be "jumping" to conclusions, but it is more than likely based upon years of living here, and the jump is more than likely only a very small step.

[eljeque]

I almost forgot... Did the driver flee the scene?

[Jiu-Jitsu]

anyone any idea how this could happen?

It sounds almost impossible or?

I can tell you how it most likely happened: racing each other....

Whilst travelling in opposite directions??

[JR Texas]

anyone any idea how this could happen?

It sounds almost impossible or?

I can tell you how it most likely happened: racing each other....

Whilst travelling in opposite directions??

I have seen them act foolishly many times......often one of the boats will start racing another........and then they decide to do circles around each other........daring each other to move out of the way (playing chicken so to speak).

The main point is recklessness and lack of attention to boat safety which, in all probability, they know nothing about. I doubt they are licensed or, of so, it involves any serious boat safety training.

The police should crackdown on this and start giving out hefty fines for reckless behavior by these boat drivers. This has been going on for a long, long time now (banana boats too).

[Rimmer]

2 Dead and 14 injured in speed boat collision close to the Bali Hai Port.

Pattaya, December 2 [PATTAYA ONE NEWS] : On Wednesday Afternoon, Police and Rescue Units were called to the Bali Hai Port located at the south-end of Pattaya Beach following reports of a boating accident. A collision involving two speed boats had just taken place as one boat left the port and another was arriving from nearby Larn Island. A total of 49 tourists were on both boats at the time of the head-on collision. One of the boats sunk while the other sustained serious damage and all of the tourists were thrown out of the boats. Two Chinese Tourists, Mr. Zeng Hong Loo aged 57 and Mr. Chen Ding Chan aged 50, were given CPR at the scene but later died in Hospital. Initial fears of 3 people missing feared drowned were discounted as everyone was later accounted for. A total of 14 others were injured including Thai Tour Guides. This tragedy was breaking as we prepared the news on Wednesday and we expect further updates in the coming days as Pattaya is coming to terms with a boating accident which will undoubtedly lead to a major overhaul of safety procedures for pleasure boats and speed boats and possible criminal charges against the boat operators involved in the accident.

http://www.pattayaone.net/news

[newsfooter][/newsfooter] http://www.pattayaone.net/news/2009/decemb..._02_12_52.shtml

[dieter1]

the question is not, why it did happen, it´s more , why does it not happen all the time ....

( I think, it does happen many times )

who cares for the safety of the passenger ?

Is there a qualified outside (non-corrupt !) controlling institution ?

controlling:

- the boats (I think speed boats are not the proper equipment to use as a ferry )

- training of stuff (is there any license for driving a speedboat as ferry ?

- controlling of the behaviour (speed, using live vests , alcohol, drug using of drivers ....)

- insurance (a real one, not like limited up to some silly amount )

for sure there is nothing like this !

Just the fact, that they do not know, how many people were on one of the ferry says it all ....

Just to see, that they do start there boats in the middle of a crowded beach, with many people regulary swimming all around, many jets-skies moving around in very fast speed, driven by unexperienced tourists or drunken Thais,

all this is telling me all the time that is a hazard (risking your life with big chance to loose it) to use these speed boats....

Just the idea, to have a heavy used ferry service, starting in the middle of the most frequented beach of a big seaside resort is absolutely crazy, criminal, stupid (choose your words..) and shows, that there is nobody (!!!) who really cares for the safety of the tourists.

Problem, as usual in Thailand, people from Korea, Japan, Europe etc. can not imagine, that such a dangerous kind of transportation is allowed, because in their home countries, it would never be... So they are using these services without knowing, what can happen....

[Briggsy]

At least there will be no shortage of witnesses.

Will their voice be heard though? The press here generally print no other "versions of the truth" than the "official" one released by the police.

[RickBradford]

to have a heavy used ferry service, starting in the middle of the most frequented beach of a big seaside resort is absolutely crazy, criminal, stupid (choose your words..)

"Irresponsible" is my word, and I can apply it to most everything here.

I have travelled on "ferries" where it is clearly stated in Thai "maximum 50 passengers" but where there were at least 150 on board. Why? No need to ask. $$$.

Edited December 2, 2009 by RickBradford

[brahmburgers]

I've was only in the water off Pattaya's chewing gum wide beach once, and that was 14 months ago. Some kids were frolicking in shallow water, about 3 meters from the shore. A speedboat came barreling in at a good pace, and didn't slow and turn until about spitting distance from the kids. I waved my arms at the speedboat jockey and made some noise, but only got ugly looks from him and looks of wonderment from others on the beach ('why are farang so darn loud and rude' 'they're only guests in this country, but they act like brassy big shots who know what's best for everyone' ...sort of looks)

Also, trends indicate that, when things get dangerous, it's Asian tourists who are first to forgo traveling to Thailand. Not only is this incident bad for tourism, but by causing death for 2 Chinese - could have repercussions for tourism numbers. Condolences for injured and for families of deceased.

Edited December 2, 2009 by brahmburgers

[britadders28]

Yahoo news uk says police are blaming big waves or strong winds and 3 people still missing

Could never be fault of a thai oh no!

[Bagwan]

I bought a speed boat so that my wife's daughter and husband could operate a ferry service to Koh Larn. The local Mafia froze them out. What surprised me is the number of people involved in the accident. The boats seem to have been completely overloaded. A single engine boat can only carry 12 in comfort and the our boat was the only one that I saw providing life jackets and carrying a fire extinguisher. I tried several insurance companies and agents to arrange comprehensive insurance but nobody would even give a quote. When registering the boat at the Marine Department office in Chonburi (very polite and ultra efficient by any standard BTW) I asked about insurance and was told that it was not required, and they did not know of any insurance company that would provide cover. Too risky as many accidents took place they added.

At speed these boats require a great deal of muscle power in order to change course.

[Stricken]

MCOT reports 2 dead, 16 injured in the speedboat crash.

2 dead 16 injured in a colliding speed boat crash?????????? Sounds way too over crowded and probably drunk.

[cobra]

... The boats seem to have been completely overloaded. A single engine boat can only carry 12 in comfort and the our boat was the only one that I saw providing life jackets and carrying a fire extinguisher. ..

Overloading, no safety equipment, no life jackets, no briefing other than ... we go now ....

This is S.O.P for most of the speed boat shuttles, especially Koh Phangan FMP runs.

[brahmburgers]

.....and there are the heavily laden commuter boats that pry the Chao Praya river within Bangkok.

Edited December 2, 2009 by brahmburgers

[balo]

Don't blame the thais , must have been the waves.....

R.I.P

Edited December 2, 2009 by balo