More Than 100 Tourists Rescued From Sinking Phuket Ferry

[BookMan]

Did the boats Captain swim from the scene?

[Soupdragon]

I often wondered why a few ferries leave at the same time rather than staggering their departures during the day. They operate the buddy system so one boat can rescue the others passengers when it gets into trouble.

This got also something to do with low and high tide. Not all times it is easy get get in/out of Rassada Harbour.

The ferries sail at the same times everyday. The height of the tide varies during the month so the boats will at some time sail in and out at both high and low tides.

Judging from the story this was not a regular ferry but more a daytrip ferry. They would leave before the regular ferries.

Could well be, the 'buddy' comment was said in jest.

[Vinny1967]

PHUKET: -- More than 100 people were rescued from a tourist boat that started sinking while returning from Phi Phi Island to Phuket Tuesday afternoon after being damaged by big waves.

Correct me if I'm wrong,but aren't boats supposed to be able to deal with waves ? Maybe in the future they should wait until the sea is dead calm before sailing for fear that a little ripple might hull the boat.

[oldsailor35]

This is why I will never take a boat of any sort in south east Asia. I know very few people who have taken a boat trip in Thailand that doesn't have some sort of mini-disaster story to tell.

Hear it every day ! I will never take a boat trip in Thailand.

I will never get on a bus in Thailand.

I will never hire a m/bike in Thailand.

I will never use a mini bus in Thailand.

I will never drive a car in Thailand.

I will never travel by train in Thailand.

OMG!

[stevenl]

This is why I will never take a boat of any sort in south east Asia. I know very few people who have taken a boat trip in Thailand that doesn't have some sort of mini-disaster story to tell.

You do realise that 1000's of people take a boat trip here every day, to go diving, snorkeling, trip to Phi Phi, etc. etc. And that 1000's of people every day don't have any kind if mini-disaster story to tell.

[oldsailor35]

Every hour 0730 to 1900 car ferries run both ways between Koh Samui and Donsak ( one and half hour trip) by two companies. We don't hear of many accidents on those runs, and if it is too rough they just do not sail. So why be afraid.

Edited May 29, 2013 by oldsailor35

[winstonc]

if everything worried you in thailand youd never leave your house,,im sure weve all tried a bit of streat food and lived to tell the tale,,,,,,be real,,if you lived in say bali and looked at the forum there youd here similar stories every country has them,,,,,,

[JetsetBkk]

This is why I will never take a boat of any sort in south east Asia. I know very few people who have taken a boat trip in Thailand that doesn't have some sort of mini-disaster story to tell.

I am with you. I would never get on a boat in Thailand.

It is comforting to know that I am not the only one who has never taken a boat ride from Phuket. I didn't get to my age without weighing up the risks.

[twominutesbuddy]

More wreck diving? How deep is the water off kai island?

I've snorkeled 5-6 times right where the ferry is beached against the rocks. The water is about 10-15 feet deep there with some great coral.

nice to know you support environmentally freindly snorkelling operations

[ableguy]

Yes, that's why I never take boats in Thailand, but buses and vans all the time, or my trusty motorbike, so.. oh, wait.

Vans are officially the most dagerous form of public transport in Thailand with tour buses coming in second taxis are the safest . info government report

[webfact]

UPDATE:
Phuket ferry accident ‘caused by nature’ – marine office
Tanyaluk Sakoot


The ferry as the Marine Police found it, with its bows on the rocks of Koh Gai. Photo Marine Police

PHUKET: -- The director of the Marine Office has praised the captain of the sinking ferry off Phuket yesterday, and has said the accident was “caused by nature”.

Around 100 tourists – mostly foreigners but including 11 Thais – were rescued last night (May 28) from the stricken vessel.

The ferry, the Peuan Foong 2, set off shortly before 4pm from Phi Phi, heading for Rassada Pier in Phuket.

Not long after, it began to take on water through a crack in the hull, and 54-year-old Captain Sommai Sanguansap headed for the nearest piece of land, tiny Koh Kiew (Green Island), where he managed to put the bow of the ferry on the rocks.

The marine police went to the scene as did another ferry, the Phichamon, which diverted to pick up the passengers, none of whom were harmed.

Phuriphat Theerakulpisut, director of the Marine Office – which has official responsibility for the safety of passenger boats – told The Phuket News today (May 29), “This accident was caused by nature.

“I was very impressed with the captain [of the Peuan Foong 2]. He was able to deal with an emergency with experience and skill, by stopping at Koh Kiew.”

Preparations were being made to recover the ferry, he said. “The owner has been in touch with me and he is concerned.

“They want a barge to carry 80 air tanks to the site – that may take some time to arrange. The tanks will be strapped to the ferry to stop it sinking so that they can repair the hull.”

He explained that the Marine Office has a process for checking every passenger boat and ferry once a year. “If a ferry is broken in any way, the officers will consider matters case by case.

“International levels of safety are our top priority; we want to ensure that passengers are safe and that none are harmed.”

Peecha Chuleam, 39, the captain of the Phichamon, told The Phuket News, “I was already carrying 60 passengers. The weather was not too bad; wave heights were about two metres.

“When we arrived I could see all the passengers [on the Peuan Foong 2] were already wearing buoyancy aids. Some looked frightened. I came up alongside and we took about 20 minutes transferring them.

“I went on to Phi Phi and dropped my 60 passengers first and then went back to Rassada Pier [with the Peuan Foong 2’s passengers]. We arrived around 7.20pm.” No one was injured.

Mr Peecha said he had been sailing these waters for 14 years and conditions were not extreme, or even particularly dangerous. “We were still running our service.”

He theorised that the Peuan Foong 2 might have been hit by a particularly large wave that had cracked the hull.

This is the third incident in six weeks in which tourists have been put at risk in waters close to Phuket.

On April 16, the dive boat Little Princess sank in heavy weather while trying to reach Koh Tachai, between the Similan and Surin Islands. Twenty people left floating in the water were rescued by a fishing boat.

The Royal Thai Navy had to be sent to rescue the 20 along with hundreds of other stranded on the island because the boats that brought them there could not venture out into the large waves.

Last Saturday, despite warnings of bad weather, many boats were damaged off Krabi and 170 tourists had to be picked up from Koh Hong when the skippers of longtail boats decided conditions were not safe for the return trip.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-ferry-accident-%E2%80%98caused-by-nature%E2%80%99-marine-office-39733.php


-- Phuket News 2013-05-29

[HarryMilton]

"More than 100 tourists rescued from sinking ferry"

So there were no Thai onboard? Or their lives are not worth reporting?

Reading the reports will answer your question...you do know that any nationality can be tourists?

[belg]

death trap in the middle of the sea, if the other boat was not there, or will they claim there were enough life jackets for everybody ?

[robertson468]

As dive Instructor I do spend many days on boats. Yes I agree, prop breaks from longtail, engine failure but not every day. Things break down in live.

Never been in trouble on the boat in Thailand.

But I do understand you, keep on bashing the Thais. Nothing else to do, but remember the news this week:

NEVER EVER take a ferry in England, it will end up on the rocks

NEVER EVER take a cruise in the Bahamas, the ship will get on fire.

Just two small incidents this week in other civilized, good organized, controlled, checked, safe, no corruption etc parts of the world.

Happy to read that in all three accidents the captains stay calm and organized a safe rescue for all the passengers and crew.

Well said Khun Robert. Too many here become irrational and fail to engage brain before putting fingers on keyboard (or maybe fingers should be deployed elsewhere?).

[IrishIvan]

death trap in the middle of the sea, if the other boat was not there, or will they claim there were enough life jackets for everybody ?

Most people can swim and really its not that far between islands. Im sure there would long tail boats near by to help

[johnlandy]

This is why I will never take a boat of any sort in south east Asia. I know very few people who have taken a boat trip in Thailand that doesn't have some sort of mini-disaster story to tell.

I am with you. I would never get on a boat in Thailand.

Have these clowns (the authorities) never heard of an annual survey? Oops sorry forgot that is for people with an IQ greater than their shoe size.....

[LivinginKata]

A number of the off topic posts removed.

[Soupdragon]

Captain of the stricken vessel blames the weather.

Captain of the boat used in the rescue says the weather was not an issue.

Head of the Marine Dept blames the weather.

Someone is not telling the truth. Anyone got a coin.

[IrishIvan]

This ferry is one of the 300b ones. You get what you pay for. If you want a quality safe trip then use the proper safe ferrys from Ratsada. Cheapness can come at a price

[stevenl]

Captain of the stricken vessel blames the weather.

Captain of the boat used in the rescue says the weather was not an issue.

Head of the Marine Dept blames the weather.

Someone is not telling the truth. Anyone got a coin.

The weather was not an issue. There were many boats out, waves of maybe 1 meter. Hell, there were even longtails out. Any decent seaworthy boat would have experienced no problems at all (which is why none of the other boats experienced any problems, including many speedboats).

Isn't that marine guy in Europe at the moment?

Edited May 29, 2013 by stevenl

[Soupdragon]

Captain of the stricken vessel blames the weather.

Captain of the boat used in the rescue says the weather was not an issue.

Head of the Marine Dept blames the weather.

Someone is not telling the truth. Anyone got a coin.

The weather was not an issue. There were many boats out, waves of maybe 1 meter. Hell, there were even longtails out. Any decent seaworthy boat would have experienced no problems at all (which is why none of the other boats experienced any problems, including many speedboats).

Isn't that marine guy in Europe at the moment?

Nah he is back after his European vacation fact finding tour researching deep water ports.

[kurnell]

This is why I will never take a boat of any sort in south east Asia. I know very few people who have taken a boat trip in Thailand that doesn't have some sort of mini-disaster story to tell.

You do realise that 1000's of people take a boat trip here every day, to go diving, snorkeling, trip to Phi Phi, etc. etc. And that 1000's of people every day don't have any kind if mini-disaster story to tell.

How long did the 1,000 person audit take you?

[rbrooks]

Looks like a Carnival cruise gone wrong Thai style. Big waves + Thai captain = big disaster for Farlang passengers.

[pedro01]

There was a crack in the hull.

Nature caused it.By that he means that nature puts water in the ocean. If nature hadn't done that, the boat would not have sunk.

[Secondmouse]

driving a sinking boat full of passengers onto rocks is the last thing i would have thought of doing

but i guess whatever he did worked

Yeah, good thinking...normally the first response to discovering a 'holed hull' on a 'private' type yacht is to stuff it with cushions, pillows or anything else similarly suitable...I wonder what the extent of the damage is....

[Sandman77]

One time I was in a 2 hour thunderstorm on the way to similian islands was thinking my last day was coming the worst boats I ever see was in Cambodia and lowest security in world have Indonesia!

It's a big shame for the rich Phuket that the not replace the old boats and take an eye on security!

Maybe 100 people must die until something happen,....

[Postmaster]

Never ever had a problem on the ferries in Thailand but I always ensure I know the location of the life jackets when I board, seriously, always.

I wouldn't even consider going further south than Rayong after March until November. November to March is the only time I will head South. Its too rainy and unpredicable weather.and dangerous sea conditions.South Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia are just dreadful, rains every day. Don't need it.

[IrishIvan]

From memory isnt that the 3rd boat to go down this yesr? A dive boat at the Similans. Booze cruise at Chalong pier and now this ferry at Koh Kai or Koh Kieow.

[eezergood]

From memory isnt that the 3rd boat to go down this yesr? A dive boat at the Similans. Booze cruise at Chalong pier and now this ferry at Koh Kai or Koh Kieow.

For now!