18 Korean Tourists Injured In Speed Boat Accident In Pattaya

[StealthEnergiser]

I think they are trained by there bosses or owners to flee the scene it's seem's to be standard practice there have also been many reports of jet ski operators dissapearing on pattaya and jomtien beaches where tourists have been killed or suffered serious injury .

They are also may have had drugs or alcohol in there bodies weak and corrupt police in a lawless society doesn't help.

Was sitting on the beach at pattaya one day the jet ski scammers were supplying beer to the marine police anchored off shore that were meant to be protecting people from dangers.

[TackyToo]

Why do Thai drivers usually flee the scene when they are at fault driving boats, airplanes, buses, autos, tuk tuks, trains, scooters, bicycles, elephants, etc.? Amazing Thailand.

They may think it’s bad enough already if someone lose his legs, or life in one of these common freak accidents.

No need to lose face on top of it.

[belg]

i hope the koreans all had a person life vest

naaaaaaah, who am i kidding

[doggie888888]

Why do Thai drivers usually flee the scene when they are at fault driving boats, airplanes, buses, autos, tuk tuks, trains, scooters, bicycles, elephants, etc.? Amazing Thailand.

If you read other"accident" threads, the recommended course of action for farang drivers is to flee the scene of accident lest the locals gang up, which I think is rubbish.

I think the Thais flee to hide behind the most influential connection they can muster up with a vague hope of some protection before the police catch up.

In both cases, I still maintain only cowards flee the scene of an accident.

[Boatfreak]

It is not only the skippers that need to be more qualified it is also the very old design of wooden speedboat that is the cause of these accident. The plywood in Thailand is of very poor quality (yes these are ALL plywood boats) Due to the poor trim capabilities the skipper can just not see over the bow. It is time to slowly renew this ageing fleet by modern, safer, boats.

[sirchai]

The drivers of two speed boats however escaped.

Witnesses saw them running over the water after the accident and disappeared. Get well soon....

[MisterMan]

Anyone know the name of the company not the boat? Would be interesting to see their Trip Advisor reviews prevously..

[Larry001]

The Koreans should have know better. What kind of a boat driver can crash into a parked boat. Drunk on Lao Khao. My symapthies to the injured, I just came from Korea. Typical Thailand.

Typical bloody males. The country would be absolutely buggered without the females

[Rimmer]

Koreans Badly Hurt As Koh Larn Speedboats Crash
PATTAYA:--A 64-year-old Korean man’s lower left leg was cut off, and another man’s legs nearly severed when a speedboat carrying 20 Korean tourists rammed another speedboat at a Koh Larn beach. Six people were badly injured, including a Thai guide. Both boat drivers fled the scene.

PATTAYA – April 21, 2013 [PDN]; a report of boats colliding in an accident that injured many South Korean tourists was received by Pol. Lt. Col. Supan Sophee, detective of Muang Pattaya police station.

The collision occurred in the Ta Wan beach area, Koh Lan district, Muang Pattaya, Nakluea, Banglamung.

Providing immediate assistance were rescuers of Koh Larn district and speedboats of good citizens who gradually brought the victims to the Bali Hai pier in South Pattaya.

Rushing to the scene were sea rescuers, rescuers from Sawangboriboon foundation Pattaya, and medical teams from Pattaya Memorial and Bangkok-Pattaya hospitals.

After receiving the report, Mr.Sanit Boonmachai, a member of the Pattaya parliament, also brought the municipality staff to assist.

When they arrived at Bali Hai pier, rescue officers found it was crowded with tourists who had come for their vacations. So the staff and authorities cleared out everyone from the area not involved in the accident.

The rescuers from Koh Larn brought the injured victims to the pier, which included a Thai tour guide and 20 Korean tourists. Waiting to assist were the medical and the rescue teams to bring them to Pattaya Memorial and Bangkok-Pattaya hospitals.
Of the 20 injured tourists, 14 had minor injuries. They were treated at the scene and released.

Full story:http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2013/04/22/koreans-badly-hurt-as-koh-larn-speedboats-crash/

--PATTAYA DAILY NEWS 2013-04-22

[HarryMilton]

i hope the koreans all had a person life vest

naaaaaaah, who am i kidding

Yes, they did have life jackets, can't you read?

[stoffel45]

The names, addresses and all information is very well known. The owner of the boats, 'normally' instruct their "Captains" to 'get lost' if there is an accident.

Crews of rescue boats will 'lose' the offending 'Captains' in their own company.

We all know WHAT the problem is. We all know WHO is involved. We all know it will not be fixed.

[apetley]

I've become accustomed to news such as this... If it isn't a Bus accident its someone drunk in car or motorcycle or as in this case, its yet another speed boat accident... With sympathy for the victims my first thoughts lately when I read news such as this is... "How on earth can this possibly happen?"...

Really - How is it possible for a speed boat to go straight into another boat which wasn't moving ?? !!

Of course - we can all guess the answer, the pilot wasn't watching where he was going or there was some mechanical steering failure...

I'm guessing it was brake failure...

.....or had been raining and he got into a skid.

[NomadJoe]

How do you flee the scene 800 metres offshore?

Simple. Their captain friends respond in their boats, but not to help with the rescue of the mamed passengers, but to aid in the escape of the drivers.

[webfact]

UPDATE:
Korean Consul General visits tourists injured from Pattaya boat crash

PATTAYA, 22 April 2013 (NNT) - South Korean consul-general to Thailand Cha Kiang Tak led embassy officials to pay a visit to Korean nationals injured during a boat collision in Pattya’s Koh Larn on Sunday morning. He has yet to comment on the incident.

18 injured tourists were sent to Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital and Pattaya Memorial Hospital after two speedboats carrying them collided 800 meters off the island’s shore. Two tourists suffered injuries on their limbs and one has lost one leg completely.

Police are carrying out inspection on the remains of the capsized speedboats after Pattaya rescue teams had salvaged them from the sea.

The two drivers of the speedboats fled the scene of the crash. Police have embarked on a manhunt to track down the two men. Reports suggest one suspect has surrendered himself to the police.

According to police report, when the collision occurred, a total of 28 South Korean tourists were being ferried by the two speedboats to the island.


-- NNT 2013-04-22

[Locationthailand]

I love the way these ass-wipes are referred to as 'captains'. From experience and holding a commercial licence for years, you earn the title after years on the water and tests to prove your ability including radio and navigation. You don't get it by wearing a T Shirt or buying a licence. Also from observation you can see these clowns have no idea about handling anything in water other than a toy duck whilst holding onto their ...

[maidu]

What a horrendous way to end a vacation. Korean guys save money - to go to beautiful Thailand. He sees the perfect photos in the airbrushed/photoshopped brochures. Then almost loses his life while painfully losing a leg or two. Yikes. And to top it off, he will find out very soon that there's nearly no money compensation - which cements the reputation of Thailand as a 3rd world country.

A couple of days ago I read a report of a bus crash (or minivan... I can't remeember as there are so many) in which the driver fled the scene. The following day I read in another newspaper that the rescue team spent 30 minutes trying to free the driver. Maybe "The driver fled the scene" is a standard text used by all reporters. No way could two "drivers" of the boats get away without anyone seeing them.

I think it's possible to slink away. All attention is focused on the injured at the scene, plus looking around for any fatalities, and worrying about sharks and whatever else. The drivers could just slink away like cockroaches in an oil slick.

That ferry is top heavy. On windy days it scares the bjesus out of everyone feelin like it will tip over.....and of course only a few life jackets! Its taboo to complain here, they think you are rude and resist in principle, no matter what the circumstances. Very strange. I was on the upper deck of a bus once, first row seat on an all night trip to bangkok from up north. The entire bus was asleep and the driver started to fall asleep and started swerving off both sides of the road. I went down and banged on the driver/s cabin door and he stopped after a few minutes and walked it off. the train is far safer, I'll never do a late night trip again on a bus!

If you bang on a driver's door (and I respect you for that), you can get strongly rebuked and/or get a fist or a knife shaken in your face. Embarrassing a Thai is more severe (in their view) than any sort of physical injury which may ensue.

Edited April 22, 2013 by maidu

[evadgib]

Culpability isn't high on the agenda here, evident in these clips 5 years apart involving the very same boat elsewhere in the Gulf of Thailand.

Three Britons die in Thai boat accident - Telegraph

http://news.sky.com/story/788236/four-britons-in-thailand-rave-boat-crash

Edited April 22, 2013 by evadgib

[ozyjon]

Having dealt with Korean people for many years, i wonder how and what impact this will have back in Korea,, it will be major new headlines there, and will it impact on tourism, most tourism from Korea is by groups so will it have an impact i wonder, time will tell. If they are not happy they will stop going there, that's for sure.

[webfact]

UPDATE
Tourists badly hurt in speedboat collision off Koh Lan
Thanasap Noisaard
The Nation



PATTAYA: -- The alleged driver of a speedboat involved in a crash off Pattaya on Sunday that seriously injured many South Korean tourists has contacted police to arrange for his surrender.

Pattaya Police superintendent Colonel Suwan Chiewnawinthawat identified the driver as Amnuay Kladkhemthong.

Police say Amnuay fled the scene of the accident. "He was the driver of the Sor Khemthong speedboat," Suwan said.

Scientific-crime detection officers have already examined the boat, as well as the Kor Nongmai 7 boat, owned by Sea Dream Co Ltd. Both vessels were involved in the serious collision off Chon Buri's Koh Lan.

Examination had revealed that the Kor Nongmai 7 speedboat, which carried about 20 tourists and tour guides, sustained serious damage, including a large hole in its left side. The Sor Khemthong speedboat received only minor damage to its bow.

According to police, evidence suggested the Sor Khemthong vessel crashed into the Kor Nongmai 7 speedboat. However, witnesses said that Kor Nongmai 7 collided with Sor Khemthong when it was refilling its fuel tank and not moving.

Police said the Kor Nongmai 7 driver Rung-arun Homlamduan could not be located after the mishap.

Four South Korean tourists, a South Korean guide and a Thai guide were seriously injured in the accident. About 14 other people were on board the boats and sustained minor injuries.

The South Korean consul-general to Thailand has already visited the victims at two hospitals in Chon Buri. He did not make any remarks to the media.

Woraya Yuwaponthanakorn, a 22-year-old official at the South Korean embassy, said the incident had put the consul-general under stress. "We are now gathering information and will submit a report on the accident to authorities in South Korea," she said.


-- The Nation 2013-04-23

[lovetotravel]

These guys drive like maniacs. I've been to Koh Larn several times and was shocked at how badly they drive. And confused as to why the Thai authorities don't do anything about it. Especially considering all the accidents that have already happened.

We were at a small bay accessible only by boat a few months ago. These guys were so crazy we couldn't swim very far from shore. Rushing in very fast and racing each other. Cutting in and out of parked boats. Just crazy.

When a boat starts up, the bow rises quite high in the water so the drivers can't see in front of them.

I hope the injured Koreans recover quickly.

[Rimmer]

Government Minister confronted over Korean Speedboat crash at Pattaya Island

PATTAYA:--On Monday a delegation of government officials and Police visited the Korean Tourists seriously injured in Sunday’s speed-boat crash off the coast of Larn Island and the visit did not go without incident.

The delegation was led by Khun Somsak, Minister for Sports and Tourism who was joined by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary along with the Governor of Chonburi Province, Chief of Banglamung District and the Mayor of Pattaya. The group visited the Bangkok Hospital Pattaya with the intention of offering their sincere apologies and assurances that a full investigation is taking place.

At the start of the visit they were confronted by the wife of Mr. Gihway Hong aged 64 who tragically lost part of his left leg in the crash. She spoke through an interpreter and was angry at the lack of regulation of speedboat operators and placed the blame entirely on the government. Straight after the confrontation Mrs. Hong collapsed and was rushed to the Emergency Room for treatment.
Full story:http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/84264/government-minister-confronted-korean-speedboat-crash-pattaya-island/

-- Pattaya One 2013-04-23

[Traveling Sailor]

I will never get on a boat in Thailand. Ever. Taxis are bad enough, but trusting your life to one of these clods in a boat??

There is no difference between the clod driving the boat, the clod driving the taxi, the clod driving the bus and the clod driving his truck at 100+ km/hour on a country road. No matter what type of vehicle you choose to ride in, you are puting your life into the hands of a Thai driver. Best wishes and good luck!

[Traveling Sailor]

"Both speedboat drivers are still on-the-run as detailed examinations of both speedboats are taking place to determine what really happened."

Obviously, the police/government cannot believe that a Thai national is stupid enough to drive into an anchored speedboat. LOL!

[smedly]

They drive boats the same way they drive motorbikes - they think they are invincible - splat

I also suspect the boats are owned and run by the same mafia thugs that run the jetski's on the beach

[Rimmer]

Boat Crew involved in Korean speedboat crash hand themselves into Pattaya Police

PATTAYA:--In a development to the Korean Speedboat crash which occurred on Sunday, the Captain and crew member from the “Go Nong Mai 7” speedboat which was transporting the tourists from one Island to another, have handed themselves into Pattaya Police and have offered a different version of events.

Khun Runareung aged 27, the boats Captain and Khun Latapon aged 30, a crew member both denied crashing their boat into the other vessel, the “S Khem Tong” which was reported to be stationary and was awaiting refueling. The two men claimed the boat was not moored and hit their boat, causing the crash and subsequent injuries to 19 Korean Tourists, 6 of them seriously.
Full story:http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/84374/boat-crew-involved-korean-speedboat-crash-hand-pattaya-police/

-- Pattaya One 2013-04-23

[canuckamuck]

A collision of two moving boats makes a lot more sense than hitting a stationary boat. But I don't think you'll hear much truth from either crew. What do the Koreans say happened?

[kurnell]

I don't think I have ever heard "it was my error and I accept the responsibility" since I arrived in Thailand in 1989.

[chiangmaicharlies]

The tides an be really tricky off the west shore. It might not be like it seems.

[chiangmaicharlies]

I don't think I have ever heard "it was my error and I accept the responsibility" since I arrived in Thailand in 1989.

Neither have I, but it is a rather a archaic statement that one is not likely to hear.

[robblok]

Not to defend all Thais but I haven't seen many foreigners claiming responsibility for their actions either. I haven't seen anyone doing that actually for a long time even in news items about government officials or bankers you never see them take responsibility. In most cases they will say there are mitigating circumstances ect. ect.

So us whiteys are not as perfect either.