Pattaya ferry tragedy prompts safety call

[scorecard]

PM to follow up on Pattaya ferry accident during Chonburi visit

CHONBURI, 5 November 2013 (NNT) – Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will visit Chonburi province today (November 5) to follow up on the case of the sunk ferry in Pattaya that has claimed the lives of 6 tourists.

A ship operated by the Koh Lan Travel company sank off the coast of Pattaya on Sunday evening, after it departed from Koh Lan with around 200 passengers. At least 16 passengers suffered injuries.

Saman Khwanmueang, the ferry's captain, asserted that the boat did not run into reefs and was not overloaded. The man said he believed the bottom of the vessel was damaged by violent waves.

Marine Department Director-General Sorasak Saensombat said ships operated by Koh Lan Travel are being grounded pending re-inspection of their condition. Permits for the company's remaining 6 vessels will be cancelled if the ships fail to pass the inspection.

-- NNT 2013-11-05

Damaged by violent waves?/??? Under the sea level?????

This guy has been watching the jet ski operators.

If there were violent waves (the captain's comment) then why did the captain sail at all?

Edited November 5, 2013 by scorecard

[nakhonandy]

PM to follow up on Pattaya ferry accident during Chonburi visit

CHONBURI, 5 November 2013 (NNT) – Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will visit Chonburi province today (November 5) to follow up on the case of the sunk ferry in Pattaya that has claimed the lives of 6 tourists.

A ship operated by the Koh Lan Travel company sank off the coast of Pattaya on Sunday evening, after it departed from Koh Lan with around 200 passengers. At least 16 passengers suffered injuries.

Saman Khwanmueang, the ferry's captain, asserted that the boat did not run into reefs and was not overloaded. The man said he believed the bottom of the vessel was damaged by violent waves.

Marine Department Director-General Sorasak Saensombat said ships operated by Koh Lan Travel are being grounded pending re-inspection of their condition. Permits for the company's remaining 6 vessels will be cancelled if the ships fail to pass the inspection.

-- NNT 2013-11-05

Damaged by violent waves?/??? Under the sea level?????

This guy has been watching the jet ski operators.

If there were violent waves (the captain's comment) then why did the captain sail at all?

Firstly violent waves, BS, the sea has been calm for the last week and it wouldn't have caused this anyhow.

As a diving instructor I have been to this site many times, if the photo is correct then it is simply human error.

All boats go around this point leaving at least 100m between the point and the boat, reason reef rises to 1 - 2 meters at that point!

The boats I use are serviced regularly and into dry dock asually twice a year, are these?

Will anything happen, I hope so but I am always sceptical here.

Whenever I have used these ferries I always have my family on the top deck with life jackets in site irrespective of the fact we are all strong swimmers.

[normac44]

Every time I have been out to Koh larn I have just about had enough of the place by 3.pm so come back on the early ferry. last time I did this trip the ferry called in to one of the beaches and the operator of the boat ran over a mooring line which wrapped itself around the propeller and left us stranded for a couple of hours until another boat picked us up. Maybe when one purchases their ticket at the Bali Hi Pier office you should nominate a time of returning and if they kept records they would have more of an idea as to how many people are going to return on the last ferry. Just a thought.

[RuskiCat]

"Under an insurance policy taken out by the ferry owner, the financial compensation per death is up to Bt300,000, and medical coverage per victim is up to Bt115,000."

So if I had died on that boat my bereaved family (if I had one) would have received a sum equivalent to several weeks of my income when I was still working. Wow.

And if I had merely been injured I would have got my hospital bills paid up to an amount equivalent to two dental implants. Wow again.

But what annoys me most is that the boat captain will probably be carrying the can when it is the boat owners/operators who are responsible for the boat being overloaded, not having satisfactory insurance, not being maintained correctly or not having enough life-jackets.

Agreed. Captain has no choice over how many people they stuffed into that boat. Its the companies fault through and through.

[Fookhaht]

License suspended for six months for ...

killing six passengers,

injuring scores of others,

sinking company property,

and damaging Thailand's tourism image,

--all while strung out on drugs?

HARSH!

Sent from my tin can via string.

[Benmart]

If anything (bad) happens somebody must take responsibility.

Am i mistaken or is this the first time i read someone calls for responsibility?

No more blaming it on ghosts or bad luck,but does the governor not realize he should be blaming himself?

If there is a multi-car highway accident, resulting in multiple deaths, is the Governor responsible? Likewise, if a building collapses due to shoddy workmanship, is he too responsible?

His reported choice of words assigning blame may not have been the best, but let us consider that their are Department and Agency heads, that in all probability, have a more intimate responsibility in this tragic affair.

Blame is fine, but it doesn't bring back the dead.

Just my 2-Bahts worth.