Pattaya ferry captain confesses to drug use

[Loles]

500 Bath fine ?

[cornishcarlos]

Did the police send the captain for drug testing to validate the claim?

it all sounds fishy to me (no pun intended). the time to do a drug test is as soon as they get him to shore, not wait for him to confess to it a couple of days later

there is something else going on here, some coercion or under the table money

the time to do a drug test is as soon as they get him to shore,

He was on the run!

I am told that on the Thai news, he has already taken a drug test (negative) and is adamant that he has never taken drugs ??

Now who do we believe !!

Edited November 5, 2013 by cornishcarlos

[Trouble]

There are no effective liability law here. If the owner of the boat knew that everything he/she owned was on the line, more attention would be paid to counting the number of people on the boat as well as life vests, and more attention would be paid to regular equipment maintenance. Caveat emptor applies to more that the products that are purchased. You choose to get on the ferry, so you are responsible for whatever might happen. Accidents reside in the Karmic realm; they happen and are really no ones fault. And so if the poor human confesses then it is just life going on. No, it does not comport with what we westerners have been taught; but it is what is here, in the country we have chosen to live.

Interesting that there is no effective liability law here (if you are correct and which I don't doubt) but people sue right and left if slandered. What a place!

[Timwin]

If only Thais were more like Brits, everybody would be so full of smiles and never complain about everything!

God dammit, even in Australia the Brits just go on complaining!

[Satcommlee]

They need a scape goat for the camera's... but I bet anyone that he won't do any jail time!

[MyFriend You]

A boat doesn't sink because it's bilge pumps don't work, it sinks because it is leaking, and they were running the bilge pumps as a band aid fix. when the bilge pumps quit, there was no hiding the problem.

To recap, the boat had a cracked bow, was overloaded, the bilge pumps didn't work, and the captain was high.

..and playing the violin, I hear...

btw...was he released on bail?

Of course, he Confessed didn't he??? Its all the foreigners fault he was on drugs, if it weren't for foreigners, there wouldn't be any drugs in Thailand!!!

[fire2rescue99]

A boat doesn't sink because it's bilge pumps don't work, it sinks because it is leaking, and they were running the bilge pumps as a band aid fix. when the bilge pumps quit, there was no hiding the problem.

To recap, the boat had a cracked bow, was overloaded, the bilge pumps didn't work, and the captain was high.

Don't forget a universal prime maritime safety directive: have life preservers for every soul on board.

[Giorgio Ciotti]

I already had this doubt when I went to Koh Larn once a few years ago -- there were not enough safety jackets and it didn't appear to be comfortably sea worthy. It was like deciding to catch Nok Air from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai rather than face a 3/4 hour bus ride. Not many options you take what is available.

The 3 hour bus ride with a driver who could be high on something was not appealing -- here not enough life jackets and the captain high on something -- same same but different and you lose your life. But the issue of the jackets is surely the authorities lack of supervision. With enough life jackets I think all would have survived. RIP to those who lost their lives.

Giorgio

A boat doesn't sink because it's bilge pumps don't work, it sinks because it is leaking, and they were running the bilge pumps as a band aid fix. when the bilge pumps quit, there was no hiding the problem.

To recap, the boat had a cracked bow, was overloaded, the bilge pumps didn't work, and the captain was high.

[jeanpierre]

his boat hit a rock,so its the rocks fault.If it was't there nothing happend

[toenail]

Confused: Now there seems to be rocks on the bottom of Pattaya Bay that can ruin the bottom of boats. --News to me. To be "proactive" the so called "marine officials" better mark those rocks with buoys. (Remember, Thailand IS a developing country. )

Edited November 5, 2013 by toenail

[thedivezone]

What about the owner of the boat?????

Laughing all the way to the bank !

[briboy]

the main reason people are/go there is it is mainly cheaper to live there than their own country, if TH was more advanced or even had a few laws that were followed to the letter it would be much more expensive to be able to have the modern fleets and the low prices to do the things most of us like to do re sighting etc, in Aust go to the Barrier Reef and get a ferry to an Island, just about need a personal loan from the bank to be able to afford the trip let alone spend any money when you arrive, you cant have it all 1 way as in first class transport, drivers, captains and such unless you pay for it, then where would we/some of us end up, maybe just at home winging about not being able to go anywhere and have a bit of enjoyment, you want cheap you get cheap as its what you pay for in the end, sad people have died, R.I.P and everyone get better in time

[Rimmer]

One post removed:

In using Thai Visa I agree:

8) Not to post extremely negative views of Thailand or derogatory comments directed towards all Thais.

[Rimmer]

Ferry captain high on drugs during accident killing 6 tourists


Boat owner Jaruk Ngamkaew gives his statement of ownership of the boat to the investigation officer at Pattaya police station.

PATTAYA:--A captain high on methamphetamines was behind the wheel when
a passenger ferry capsized and sank off Koh Larn, killing six Thai and foreign tourists.

Saman Khwanmueang, 42, turned himself in to Pattaya Police Station late Nov. 3, hours after the two-deck Koh Larn Travel boat overloaded with 209 passengers flooded and sank about a half-kilometer off Nuan Beach. Saman, who fled the scene as tourists without life jackets flailed for their lives, eventually surrendered, confessing he’d driven the boat into the rocks while intoxicated. A urine test confirmed methamphetamines in his bloodstream.

Polish nationals Antonu Franczak, 60, his wife Lida, 47, Hong Kong native To Kin Man, 48, and Thais Nattawadee Sopittapong, 44, Jaree Attavodo, 67, and Chuchart Chomphunak, 52, died. Thirty-four others were taken to area hospitals for treatment, with several remaining in intensive care. The injured included five Russians, one Japanese and one Chinese.

Police said the deaths and injuries occurred not only because the captain was abusing narcotics, taking the boat off course, but because it was severely overloaded and lacked sufficient numbers of life jackets and flotation devices.
Full storyhttp://www.pattayamail.com/localnews/ferry-captain-high-on-drugs-during-accident-killing-6-tourists-31843

-- Pattaya Mail 2013-11-06

[OMGImInPattaya]

A classic look at Thailand behind the scenes.........

It's no different anywhere else...ask the passengers of the costa Concordia.

[mok199]

high ''BIG SURPRISE''...the drug use here is out of control....time for mandatory testing of sensitve postions..ie ferry captains....

[benoit]

What are you TALKING ABOUT?

His job is so easy that he can even afford Drug and Fly!!

news reports on BBC, Al jazeeram channel news asia, had said the ferry was 100 yards from the shore. That seemed kind of odd to me. The posts here had values of 1500 meters. I have taken a similar ferry to Ko larn a few times over the years. I don't worry much about safety because barring a crushing crash, or a sudden capsize, I was completely prepared to jump over the side at a moment's notice. But I am a life guard in my past and still pretty fit and nimble.

Sadly this is one of those incidents that will keep happening more often as more and more tourists and more and more flights, boats, buses etc. are used. Look at that Laos airline crash last month. Likely a bad judegement call to fly in that weather. Just a contributing factor. But I am sure the pilot was under tremendous pressure to keep on schedule or risk being punished, fined, fired etc. Economic pressures, scheduling pressures. Laid back thailand has changed so much in 10 years.

[threelegcowboy]

What are you TALKING ABOUT?

His job is so easy that he can even afford Drug and Fly!!

news reports on BBC, Al jazeeram channel news asia, had said the ferry was 100 yards from the shore. That seemed kind of odd to me. The posts here had values of 1500 meters. I have taken a similar ferry to Ko larn a few times over the years. I don't worry much about safety because barring a crushing crash, or a sudden capsize, I was completely prepared to jump over the side at a moment's notice. But I am a life guard in my past and still pretty fit and nimble.

Sadly this is one of those incidents that will keep happening more often as more and more tourists and more and more flights, boats, buses etc. are used. Look at that Laos airline crash last month. Likely a bad judegement call to fly in that weather. Just a contributing factor. But I am sure the pilot was under tremendous pressure to keep on schedule or risk being punished, fined, fired etc. Economic pressures, scheduling pressures. Laid back thailand has changed so much in 10 years.

I have been reviewing every pic/video that I can find for info. I noted same as you 1500 meters or so was about correct distance from sinking to shore and 100 meters/yards seems way to short. You can judge by the hills on island/mainland and shore line from pics/video shown on Youtube etc.

[BlackJack]

senseless

[Spalpeen]

I was out at the islands today and you wouldn't believe the amount of brand new orange lifejackets on view everywhere. Even people on the beach were wearing them.

[spidermike007]

Nothing short of life imprisonment would be deserved for Saman Kwanmuang, 42, who turned himself into police on Sunday night, hours after his ferry capsized while returning about 200 Thai and foreign tourists from a day trip to Koh Larn.

Pol Maj Gen Katcha Tatusatra, Chon Buri police chief, said the captain confessed to officers that he took some drugs before going to work, and that he and the crew lost control of the vessel as a result. He allegedly confessed the ferry wandered off course, and hit the rocks, breaching the vessel, punching holes and letting water pour in.

I nearly any civilized nation that is what he would get for 6 charges of negligent manslaughter. He is guilty, and he admits his guilt. The question is, will the woefully inadequate Thai judicial system find a way to punish this man, in a way that befits his horrific crime? Granted there was nothing that rises to the level of pre-meditated murder, but he was responsible for stripping six families of their loved ones, and he absolutely must pay for his crimes. Will he? Many of us doubt it. If there a courageous judge in Thailand who will give him what he deserves?

[Filipplenoir]

The boats are always overloaded

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