Two Australian Sisters Recount Their Horror Speedboat Trip To Phi Phi

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Phuket: Accident or carelessness?

Nattha Thepbamrung

Tegan in hospital.

PHUKET: -- Two Australian sisters recount their horror speedboat trip to Phi Phi to Nattha Thepbamrung.

The sun was shining on a beautiful Phuket morning.

Three young Australian girls – all visiting the island for the first time – would soon board a speedboat bound for Phi Phi.

Sisters Tegan Larin, 24, and Rahni, 27, along with their cousin Samara Dove, 25, arrived at the Chalong Pier early on the morning of Wednesday, January 30, excited about their impending trip.

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“We went to the port to get on the speedboat and the tour leader told us to get to the front, and that it was okay. When we got up there, we did not get a life vest or anything like that. She just said hold the rail,” Rahni said.

“It was fine for the start – the first 10 minutes were big waves, but not too bad.”

But soon came much stronger waves, which were initially a bit of a thrill for the girls.

“We all got soaked because of the water coming down,” Rahni explained.

But then, “another wave came, and we all went up about one metre in the air and then fell crashing down,” she said.

“Me and my sister landed on our backs and we could not move – we lay on the floor screaming. Tegan hit her nose and her mouth, and both were bleeding.”

Tegan, 24, had two back fractures.

Elsewhere in the boat, American tourist Maria Genetti had a deep gash on her leg, while a Malaysian girl had suffered a serious “rip” to her ear.

“The American girl she said she hit the seat, which had a metal part on it which cut her leg. She could see the tissue inside,” Rahni said.

“The girl who had the cut ear was panicking. I think she thought she was going to lose her ear. Samara had to comfort her to make her calm down.”

Another Indonesian girl also had a wounded leg, was having trouble breathing and had suffered a back injury.

The Australian sisters described to The Phuket News how difficult the rescue was once the boat reached shore, with the injured lying on top of each other – most unable to move.

The sisters are less than happy with the way the boat driver reacted to the incident, saying he was driving “carelessly”.

“Apart from not giving us the life jackets... when the wave got bigger, he drove faster instead of slowing down,” Rahni said.

“It was so dangerous, when the wave got too big, he [the boat driver] drove faster, he just kept going faster and faster and there were no life jackets.”

“I spoke to two other girls in a different boat [after the accident] and they said when the waves got big their driver slowed down.”

The two sisters work in Australia – Tegan studies while working part time, while Rahni takes care of young children. Their jobs were on hold until earlier this week, when Tegan was well enough to be discharged and return to Australia.

It was understood all the injured tourists were covered by the tour company’s insurance.

However, Rahni said she had to pay an additional B9,000 before she returned home, plus fund the cost for the back braces for her and her sister, plus Rahni’s follow-up hospital visit and medication. Both girls are also hoping to visit a back specialist in Australia.

“We would also really like to receive some compensation as we both will miss out on quite a lot of work,” Rahni said on Wednesday.

To counter media reports, the company in charge of the tour, Andawaree Co Ltd, held a press conference last weekend to give its side of the story.

At the event, owners Kritsada and Omduan Pichetpongsanon said that the waves were always strong in the area where the accident occurred, but were exceptionally strong on January 30.

Mr Kritsada described the accident as a ‘force majeure’, and said it was fortunate that no-one on-board the boat was more seriously injured.

He explained that the boat driver is a professional and fully licensed driver, with almost 20 years experience. The tour guide that day also added that the driver had in fact averted a bigger accident.

Andawaree company tour guide Maneerat Jeemanop, who was the tour guide on board at the time of the incident, said the driver was not careless.

“If the driver had not increased speed when he did, the accident would have been much more serious. He did it because he had to fight with the wave instead of let the wave move the boat. I think he knew what he had to do in that situation,” she said.

Ms Maneerat said life vests were given to all passengers who sat inside the boat, but not to passengers who sat outside or on the front of the boat – where the three Australians were sitting. Their life vests, Ms Maneerat said, were in a pile on the floor where they could access them. She also says she told the Australian sisters to hold the rail.

Pol Lt Col Chatchai Sakdee of the Phuket Marine Police said that after investigating, they could confirm that both the boat and driver were licensed.

“The accident was not due to any carelessness on the part of the driver as he has great experience of driving boats and the big wave that day was completely unexpected,” Lt Col Chatchai said.

Source: http://www.thephuket...sness-36934.php

-- The Phuket News 2013-02-09

[angsta]

Welcome to Phuket!

Sadly it goes down hill from here

Have a wonderful holiday.

[Locationthailand]

What a crock of crap from these idiots in wooden long nose boats. Having been on the receiving end of the same style of driving from Koh Lanta to Koh Har, also from Krabi to No, Hong and other islands (on many occasions), these fools have no brains and no idea of safety. Then to get the company to make 'statements' countering the charges, the truth lies in the injured, not the lame excuses from these nut cases. But with no coast guards and like Thai drivers in general, there is a complete disregard for anything like safety on land, or water. About time the maritime authorities got off their collective asses and started doing something about it. Another nail in the tourist coffin...

[Songhua]

There may have been rougher waters thsn normal but I'd say the big wave was not 'unexpected'. Three excited young women onboard and a boat captain showing off.

[davejones]

Why are they complaining about not being given life jackets? If it was such an issue, they should have asked for them, and not boarded the boat if they weren't given any. Easy to complain after the fact, but why not do something about it when you have a chance. But also shows the shockingly lax standards here. But hey, that's all part of the excitement of living here.

[phuturatica]

All I can say is Good luck trying to get compensation... This is Thailand.

They should have been given life vests and if not they should have asked for them before the boat started moving.

Either way, I guess they should count their blessings that the accident wasn't fatal.

[chooka]

There may have been rougher waters thsn normal but I'd say the big wave was not 'unexpected'. Three excited young women onboard and a boat captain showing off.

Farangs fault?

[evadgib]

Common faults with fibreglass boats here:

a) Overloaded by 20-50%

b ) Overpowered (3 engines on a chassis designed for 2)

c) An Idiot at the helm who does't realise that there are lower speeds between 'Full Throttle' & 'Stop' modes.

d) Reluctance to cancel a trip due to Sea state/Passenger safety..

Nothing will change until culpability is taken seriously here (not in my lifetime).

Edited February 9, 2013 by evadgib

[chooka]

All I can say is Good luck trying to get compensation... This is Thailand.

They should have been given life vests and if not they should have asked for them before the boat started moving.

Either way, I guess they should count their blessings that the accident wasn't fatal.

Thats exactly why these companies have public liability insurance. The wouldn't be allowed to operate without insurance that covers every possible senario at sea which would definately include a wave. If the company didn't have insurance then they are totally negligent and don't give a <deleted> about thier passengers. The insurance company should pay up big time and I don't mean 300 bht.

[scotto]

The girls want compensation yeah right good luck with that?

but please tell us if you do get any it could set a precedent

[SeaVisionBurma]

What a crock of crap from these idiots in wooden long nose boats.

Wooden long nose boats? Surely a large fibreglass speed boat I would have thought?

[stevenl]

All I can say is Good luck trying to get compensation... This is Thailand.

They should have been given life vests and if not they should have asked for them before the boat started moving.

Either way, I guess they should count their blessings that the accident wasn't fatal.

Thats exactly why these companies have public liability insurance. The wouldn't be allowed to operate without insurance that covers every possible senario at sea which would definately include a wave. If the company didn't have insurance then they are totally negligent and don't give a <deleted> about thier passengers. The insurance company should pay up big time and I don't mean 300 bht.

The girls want compensation yeah right good luck with that?

but please tell us if you do get any it could set a precedent

I would be very surprised if they have 'public liability insurance'. Accident insurance yes, that is compulsory for the TAT license so they will have that. And that insurance will cover for the incurred medical expenses, but the compensation they receive will be limited to that.

[Jimi007]

What a crock of crap from these idiots in wooden long nose boats.

Wooden long nose boats? Surely a large fibreglass speed boat I would have thought?

They are marine plywood with a fiberglass coating. That's why they have been known to break apart and sink.

[NomadJoe]

This sounds like it might have been around the time a couple of our guests went on a speed boat to Phi Phi and it went straight through a wave. Ruined an Iphone and a lot of people got tossed around and bruised.

[jaapfries]

Common faults with fibreglass boats here:

a) Overloaded by 20-50%

b ) Overpowered (3 engines on a chassis designed for 2)

c) An Idiot at the helm who does't realise that there are lower speeds between 'Full Throttle' & 'Stop' modes.

d) Reluctance to cancel a trip due to Sea state/Passenger safety..

Nothing will change until culpability is taken seriously here (not in my lifetime).

The problem in Thailand is, that "Lawyers" here are NOT like "Lawyers" in civilized countries; a typical Farang, when he walks into a Law-Office in Thailand, places the same amount of 'unconditional trust' in the Thai' lawyer and that's a BIG mistake, since 95% of Thai lawyers (if they even went to law-school ! !) are NOT trustworthy ! - Same goes for anything else, Police; Post-Office; City-Hall Officials et al) like these Boat-Rides; Farang automatically assumes that these operations are as professional as similar ones on the Gold-Coast, Florida or similar places; the problem is, these operations are NOT professional and these girls have just discovered this.

Thailand is a 'young' country and still has a helluva lot of "developing" to do . . . . . obviously !

[LivinginKata]

What a crock of crap from these idiots in wooden long nose boats.

Wooden long nose boats? Surely a large fibreglass speed boat I would have thought?

They are marine plywood with a fiberglass coating. That's why they have been known to break apart and sink.

Yes, correct. Just about all these fast boats are plywood and fibre glass skin. It's amazing that they don't break up with the weight/power of 3 large outboards at the back.

[steelepulse]

Common faults with fibreglass boats here:

a) Overloaded by 20-50%

b ) Overpowered (3 engines on a chassis designed for 2)

c) An Idiot at the helm who does't realise that there are lower speeds between 'Full Throttle' & 'Stop' modes.

d) Reluctance to cancel a trip due to Sea state/Passenger safety..

Nothing will change until culpability is taken seriously here (not in my lifetime).

e) Not a fiberglass boat, but a POS locally built boat.

[Sirius1935]

These brainless morons who drive speedboats from Ao Chalong to Phi Phi and the Racha Islands have no idea how to control a boat even in calm waters.

They obtain a license by paying for it without having to take any form of test of competency or knowledge of the sea. There is no control over them whatsoever.

That is why they scream through the moorings at full speed with no regard for safety.

The harbourmaster offered me a "captain's license" for my girlfriend for ฿ 1,500 and she knows nothing about boats or how to drive one. I declined his offer.

[mervyn yap]

Welcome to south Thailand.

[madmitch]

All I can say is Good luck trying to get compensation... This is Thailand.

They should have been given life vests and if not they should have asked for them before the boat started moving.

Either way, I guess they should count their blessings that the accident wasn't fatal.

Thats exactly why these companies have public liability insurance. The wouldn't be allowed to operate without insurance that covers every possible senario at sea which would definately include a wave. If the company didn't have insurance then they are totally negligent and don't give a <deleted> about thier passengers. The insurance company should pay up big time and I don't mean 300 bht.

The girls want compensation yeah right good luck with that?

but please tell us if you do get any it could set a precedent

I would be very surprised if they have 'public liability insurance'. Accident insurance yes, that is compulsory for the TAT license so they will have that. And that insurance will cover for the incurred medical expenses, but the compensation they receive will be limited to that.

Whether they have public liability insurance or not is largely irrelevant in this case. Any competent lawyer would be able to argue that the company was not negligent in this instance. It's not their fault they were hit by a large wave. And of course it is standard industry practice to accelerate into an oncoming wave (of this I have no idea by the way).

No negligence, no payout, whether insured or not.

[adrilou]

Carelessness? What about incompetence and macho recklessness?

I am a ritired boat captain. I"ve been "driving" everything from sailboats to speedboats to Megayachts in all weather conditions in all kinds of waters: rivers, sea, rapids, lakes...

I am amazed that people buy that this speedboat driver has avoided a worst situation by speeding up as the waves got bigger. This is not rocket science it goes like this:

A wave is composed of a crest and a through. If you are going fast enough for any part of the boat hull to break contact with the surface of the water, it will come back down resulting in an impact. If you race up the crest of the wave, then the whole boat or most of it will get airborne, especially a speedboat, and since these vessels are flat bottomed or nearly, the boat will hit the water again, and the force of the impact will depend on the weight of the vessel, its speed, which part hits the water first, etc...But one thing is for sure: there will be an impact.

Now, to avoid the impact, you slow down so that the hull of the boat does not leave the surface of the water and just glides up and down causing no impact. If slowing down causes the waves to crash in the boat or treathen the vessel in any way, you should not be out there with that boat buddy!

Good mariners know this instinctively, like you instinctively avoid potholes on the road, right? I have known a captain to sink a multimillion dollar yacht in the Adriatic Sea by speeding up against big waves, causing a heavy piece of equipment to get dislodged and crash through a big plate glass on the front deck.

Speeding up on rough sea is hard on the vessel and hard on the passengers and crew. Period. You see rescue vessels fly over the waves on TV. But these guys are pros, are equipped to do that, and I can assure you that they are sore all over after a run like that. These are not passenger vessels!

May I humbly advise that, if you are on one of these speedboats with one of these jerks and the see is rough and you start getting tossed around uncomfortably. Don't wait. Demand that the driver slows down.

Fair winds to you all

[Locationthailand]

What a crock of crap from these idiots in wooden long nose boats.

Wooden long nose boats? Surely a large fibreglass speed boat I would have thought?

The vast majority are wooden. GRP vessels are for the wealthy. The island hoppers are made of wood and glassed over. By all means check. Extremely heavy.

Edited February 9, 2013 by Locationthailand

[Locationthailand]

Carelessness? What about incompetence and macho recklessness?

I am a ritired boat captain. I"ve been "driving" everything from sailboats to speedboats to Megayachts in all weather conditions in all kinds of waters: rivers, sea, rapids, lakes...

I am amazed that people buy that this speedboat driver has avoided a worst situation by speeding up as the waves got bigger. This is not rocket science it goes like this:

A wave is composed of a crest and a through. If you are going fast enough for any part of the boat hull to break contact with the surface of the water, it will come back down resulting in an impact. If you race up the crest of the wave, then the whole boat or most of it will get airborne, especially a speedboat, and since these vessels are flat bottomed or nearly, the boat will hit the water again, and the force of the impact will depend on the weight of the vessel, its speed, which part hits the water first, etc...But one thing is for sure: there will be an impact.

Now, to avoid the impact, you slow down so that the hull of the boat does not leave the surface of the water and just glides up and down causing no impact. If slowing down causes the waves to crash in the boat or treathen the vessel in any way, you should not be out there with that boat buddy!

Good mariners know this instinctively, like you instinctively avoid potholes on the road, right? I have known a captain to sink a multimillion dollar yacht in the Adriatic Sea by speeding up against big waves, causing a heavy piece of equipment to get dislodged and crash through a big plate glass on the front deck.

Speeding up on rough sea is hard on the vessel and hard on the passengers and crew. Period. You see rescue vessels fly over the waves on TV. But these guys are pros, are equipped to do that, and I can assure you that they are sore all over after a run like that. These are not passenger vessels!

May I humbly advise that, if you are on one of these speedboats with one of these jerks and the see is rough and you start getting tossed around uncomfortably. Don't wait. Demand that the driver slows down.

Fair winds to you all

On my last trip to Koh Har the vessels came ex Krabi and it blew up so hard we had to o'night in Lanta. One idiot in a 5 x 200 HP Honda wooden vessel decided to go Krabi with a cross sea, going flat stick came off a wave and buried the boat deep nose first an hour off shore. Two people drowned and the boat was lost. So much for the purported years of experience as claimed by local boat owners. Unless the boat is sporting around 21 degrees dead rise in the bow it will simply smash everyone and everything on board by leaping waves. Your assessment is spot on and the fact is, these dimwits are not and never will be, mariners. The last boat I built was a 28'8" Powercat and it handle big seas in extreme comfort. Surprised they don't use multi hulls here more and certainly way more economical to run.

[SeaVisionBurma]

What a crock of crap from these idiots in wooden long nose boats.

Wooden long nose boats? Surely a large fibreglass speed boat I would have thought?

The vast majority are wooden. GRP vessels are for the wealthy. The island hoppers are made of wood and glassed over. By all means check.

By fibreglass I did mean something with a marine ply form, and glass completion.

Wooden long nose boats threw me - thought they might have been confusing with a wooden longtail...

[bendejo]

All I can say is Good luck trying to get compensation... This is Thailand.

They should have been given life vests and if not they should have asked for them before the boat started moving.

Either way, I guess they should count their blessings that the accident wasn't fatal.

More like the owners will demand payment for the bloodstains left on the boat, with the BiB as mediators.

[ALFREDO]

I not understand, why people like to drive with these "Speed boats" on more or less open waters for longer times, long distances.

I was at Koh Pee Pee a couple of times, but always used the much bigger Passenger ferries who need some time longer,

but with much less problems in high and rough seas.

Edited February 9, 2013 by ALFREDO

[ricardofel]

Just another perfect example of the total disregard for tourists in Thailand. TOT only cares about how many arrive...they do NOT care about their safety. Go to Bali!!

[Soi Dog]

Some time ago I took a boat from Phuket to Phi Phi and the seas were indeed rough. But being a longtime boater myself I was impressed by the professionalism and skill of our pilot. He played the waves as well as could be done and still kept us at a good speed. Piloting in rough seas is an art form and I don't think we have enough information in this case to know if the pilot of the Australians' boat was doing the best that was possible in rough conditions or was being irresponsible. I have an open mind on this.

[noob7]

[...]

May I humbly advise that, if you are on one of these speedboats with one of these jerks and the see is rough and you start getting tossed around uncomfortably. Don't wait. Demand that the driver slows down.

You mean, unlike a minibus driver, after you started complaing, the speedboat captain can't leave you at the next 7/11?

I fully agree with you. But there is one cultural difference:

The guy has to know, what he's doing. Or he's loosing his face. Telling him, to slow down, because he's driving like a moron, is totally doing the same thing. If he would follow, he would loose face.

Or simple: Forget about it.

Or why do you think, it was the wave, not the skipper, or the rain, not the bus driver, ....!

[kurnell]

Never would I ever get into any boat in Thailand with any of these quarter wits. Last time I was in Phang Nga my wife wanted to rent a boat to take our 3 and 6 yo out into the bay, a long tail mind you. It nearly ended in divorce as the other half thought I was being unnecessarily cautious as the boat operator told her it was safe, which she chose to believe as he is Thai and he wouldn't lie. There you have it folks, NEVER get into one of these boats if you value your life.