22 Korean Tourists Involved In Boating Accident Off The Coast Of Pattaya

[a99az]

Wow they all had life jackets! I'm impressed. Last boat I saw going out to sea was at night with what looked like too many tourists 150+, four life rings a 4X4 overhanging the bows and no life rafts. And that was an over night ferry to some island. As an ex ferry operator I can't believe the standard here, just how low can you go.

[richard10365]

Glad to see this was a happy ending.

[sportsman69]

Could that first photo really be the boat that was carrying 20+ people?

No probem, they put 40+ Asians into these 6mm plywood hulled death traps with up to 500 hp + outboards on the stern here in Phuket. Read the archives for the results. Problem is the punters don't know any better, speak no language than their own and believe the spiel from the tour company or agent. After all they paid upfront. Bottom line money, Bhatisim the latest Thai religion.

[cloghead]

27 guys on just one ferry? is it high season already?

good that no one was seriously injured

That's not a ferry - it's a small speedboat. I'll be surprised if it is certified to carry more than 10 - 15.

If that photo is the actual boat involved in the accident it ain't no "ferry". Where I come from it'd be called a four-man bass boat...

[sportsman69]

Wow they all had life jackets! I'm impressed. Last boat I saw going out to sea was at night with what looked like too many tourists 150+, four life rings a 4X4 overhanging the bows and no life rafts. And that was an over night ferry to some island. As an ex ferry operator I can't believe the standard here, just how low can you go.

Last time I had the misfortune to go to Samui on the Car Ferry from Donsak, a resurrected Chinese relic, but still floating, had all the 20 pax RFD life rafts 5 yrs out of date and the auto inflate sensors disconnected. I even managed to coax the one in control down to have a look, You all know the answer, a shrug of the shoulders and a hands guestualation, so what the F***k. I guess not much has changed. Safety costs money, but not out of our a/c.

Edited October 5, 2012 by sportsman69

[Dario]

Thai captains of the many tourist boats are exactly the same kind as van- and busdrivers. They only know one speed = Full Speed Ahead. They never try to figure out, how to avoid punching into all the big waves. I have had many uncomfortable boatrides in my life in Thailand. Not at least in Phuket and Krabi. Last time caused me a hurting back, which had to be treated by a chiropractor.

Same here. Happened on the way back from Koh Larn in rough sea about 3 years ago. The "captain" drove like a maniac. For them time is money! They don't think they're ferrying people. They think they're ferrying cattle. After I was released from emergency at Memorial I went to hospital every day for about 4 weeks to get the pain away. A good tip to all readers: If you don't want to end up in hospital, stay away from those fast boats with 2 outboard engines!

[vijer]

Just from the picture I would say 27 was over capacity by say 17, but it is partially submerged so perhaps it is bigger than it appears.

[monty1412]

Police looking for torpedo equipped jet skis ??

[BarryM]

In the EU a boat of that size and hull design would be unlikely to get a coding for more than 6-8 people. The flat hull design and listing angle are major determinents of what constitutes a "safe" boat.

Of course the waters around Thailand are warmer, so the risks are minimised if passengers are wearing life jackets. That said Pattaya passenger vessles never carry lifejackets, merely flotation jackets.

That the boat was traveling at a speed close to shore to hole the boat after an impact is indicative of the general helmsmanship of the Thai.

Nothing will change of course. There's money to be made.

Edited October 5, 2012 by BarryM

[SunsetT]

27 guys on just one ferry? is it high season already?

good that no one was seriously injured

That's not a ferry - it's a small speedboat. I'll be surprised if it is certified to carry more than 10 - 15.

Yes I agree the photo of the 'ferry' puzzles me too. It does not look like the normal chunky old wooden ferry boat which is used on the public service to Koh Larn and to Koh Samet which I have often used in the past. These would be quite capable of carrying 27 passengers and coping with larger waves -with the exception of severe storms perhaps. The photo shows the bow of a smaller modern fibreglass boat -possibly a speedboat service boat. 27 people on one of those? -Now thats a different question!

[Rimmer]

Off topic Pattaya Basher post removed

[Semper]

guess the koreans were too cheap to pay the 1500thb fee for a lifejacket.

http://www.thaivisa....police-station/

Did you actually read the op, before going off topic?

Luckily they were all wearing life jackets

[Jayman]

guess the koreans were too cheap to pay the 1500thb fee for a lifejacket.

http://www.thaivisa....police-station/

Did you actually read the op, before going off topic?

Luckily they were all wearing life jackets

nope

[ableguy]

Just another day in Pattaya whats the big deal ?

[sportsman69]

27 guys on just one ferry? is it high season already?

good that no one was seriously injured

That's not a ferry - it's a small speedboat. I'll be surprised if it is certified to carry more than 10 - 15.

Yes I agree the photo of the 'ferry' puzzles me too. It does not look like the normal chunky old wooden ferry boat which is used on the public service to Koh Larn and to Koh Samet which I have often used in the past. These would be quite capable of carrying 27 passengers and coping with larger waves -with the exception of severe storms perhaps. The photo shows the bow of a smaller modern fibreglass boat -possibly a speedboat service boat. 27 people on one of those? -Now thats a different question!

No the photo shows a plywood, possibly 6mm thin non waterproof ply death trap.

[Seismic]

Thai captains of the many tourist boats are exactly the same kind as van- and busdrivers. They only know one speed = Full Speed Ahead. They never try to figure out, how to avoid punching into all the big waves. I have had many uncomfortable boatrides in my life in Thailand. Not at least in Phuket and Krabi. Last time caused me a hurting back, which had to be treated by a chiropractor.

I have to agree, I have worked on Ships for the last 32 years and am a qualified small boat and fast rescue boat Coxswain, and I have often found boat drivers in thailand to be rather unskilled when it comes to anything other than flat calm weather.

However it was good to note that lifejackets were issued to all on board, well done to whoever insisted on that.

[asiawatcher]

guess the koreans were too cheap to pay the 1500thb fee for a lifejacket.

http://www.thaivisa....police-station/

What a ridiculous statement.

[Jayman]

guess the koreans were too cheap to pay the 1500thb fee for a lifejacket.

http://www.thaivisa....police-station/

What a ridiculous statement.

Should have read.. Guess the Koreans weren't too cheap to pay the 1500thb for the lifejackets.

[bluegum]

"Luckily they were all wearing life jackets "

It speaks volumes that the local media consider it luck that led to all the passengers having worn lifejackets.

Also, the 'exposure' they mention will likely be referring to hypothermia - loss of core body temperature, which can occur when floating about even in tropical waters for too long.

Edited October 5, 2012 by bluegum

[osiboy]

Police looking for torpedo equipped jet skis ??

im suprised the ferry has not tried asked the passengers to pay for the damages,...that boat never had a scratch on it before the koreans used it !!

[rakman]

The sun, there's not much shade when your bobbing around in the sea.

+1. The sun and also drinking salt water leads to dehydration.

Plus, even the tropical water is cooler than the human body, so hypothermia can occur.

[dieter1]

yes, it is no ferry! It is a totayl overpowerd speed boat.

with 23 passengers it is totally overcrowded and it is not designed for this load

(24 x 70 kg = 1680 kg !!!) and to go with fullspeed in open sea-water, is just (pick what you like)

criminal/ mentaly retarded/ unscrupulous. It is one of these accidents which happens every year in Pattaya...

(Last time I remember it happend, these boats were doing a race and collided !)

I thought, Korea is kind of 1. world country. How could there tourist companies book these tours ?

[Basil B]

The sun, there's not much shade when your bobbing around in the sea.

+1. The sun and also drinking salt water leads to dehydration.

Plus, even the tropical water is cooler than the human body, so hypothermia can occur.

What surprises me is:

The boat had enough life vests for every passenger

The boat had Marine VHF transceiver (Captain declared an emergency)

But if the boat was only a few hundred yards (meters) from the Pier it should have taken only a few minutes, 20 max to rescue everybody, and local water temperature of 28-32^oC just how can anybody be suffering from hypothermia?

[FarangKenStine]

Will the kimchi present a bio-hazard to the marine life?

[fakename]

I have seen some of the boats loading more than 50 passengers, in the morning. Most are Indian or other Asian, so maybe they pack them a bit tighter than they would farang. Didnt notice if they put on life jackets or not, but Im sure a boat this size is not allowed to carry over 50 passengers. These are bigger boats than the one in this news article, but still too small.

[Beng]

Thai captains of the many tourist boats are exactly the same kind as van- and busdrivers. They only know one speed = Full Speed Ahead. They never try to figure out, how to avoid punching into all the big waves. I have had many uncomfortable boatrides in my life in Thailand. Not at least in Phuket and Krabi. Last time caused me a hurting back, which had to be treated by a chiropractor.

Very true indeed

[mickjn]

Well done Captain

[gaucho]

they should all buy a lottery ticket ....overloaded and people shifting is equal to cargo free drifting ...they do go too fast as well ..if u punch into a wave its got to be head on not slightly off .. people dont realise the great massive power of a wave ...this could have easily been 20 plus casualties ....was on a ferry in the pi once ...licenced and insuranced to carry 700 passengers had at LEAST twice that number and untethered machine below deck ...the weather held thankfully ...some terrible accidents in this region can directly be attributed to greed and stupidity

[TheGhostWithin]

The sun, there's not much shade when your bobbing around in the sea.

Most Koreans tend to live their lives with golf hats on from my observations.. it may have been exposure to McDonalds, KFC, and Swensens containers as well as the polystyrene ocean which floats to sea after each high tide..

Pattaya is an interesting place for someone interested in experiencing an international destination which is not Thailand, but not really somewhere considered cheap, or safe, for family or individual entertainment activities anymore (if it ever was). Too many sharks..

[Basil B]

Is Thailand one of the 170 nations that are members of IMO [international Maritime Organization]and implements the SOLAS [safety of Life at Sea] regulations that should stop this sort of incident happening.

PS, do they hire Baht Bus drivers as load-masters?