Tragedy hits Koh Tao yet again as Belgium man drowns en-route to the island from Koh Phangan

[webfact]

Tragedy hits Koh Tao yet again as Belgium man drowns en-route to the island from Koh Phangan

KOH SAMUI: -- Sunday yet more tragedy beset Koh Tao when a Belgium tourist plunged to his death from a vessel carrying around thirty passengers to the island from neighboring Koh Phangan, it is unclear if the man, who was not wearing a life jacket jumped, fell or wash pushed.

Police from Koh Phangan are investigating the circumstances of the manner in which the crew managed the incident, when the boat was turned around to pull the man from the sea, questions are also being asked as to why the man was not wearing a life jacket something that should be compulsory on the Seatran Discovery boat.

A report from Colonel Prachoom Rungton, the Superintendent of the Phangan police station suggest that the man had been seen leaning over the side of the vessel taking photographs prior to his death, he also said that it was unclear as to what kind of mental state the mind was in at the time of the incident and he pledged to find out why a life jacket was not worn and why the man was not pulled alive from the sea.

Growing concern about the safety of tourists visiting the islands in the gulf has been growing since the murders of two British backpackers last month on Koh Tao’s Siree Beach.

In a separate incident, two Indian tourists, a man and a woman died on the same afternoon after a longtail boat capsized in a storm of the mainland province of Krabi. The couple were returning from Railey, a popular costal spot that is only accessible by sea, they were also not wearing life jackets. Officials from Chao Fa Krabi Rescue Center were alerted to this incident, it took forty minute for them to reach the scene.


-- Samui Times 2014-10-06

[zaphod reborn]

Boating deaths - the new balcony falls of the sea in Thailand.

[meatboy]

did he fall.jump, how was his mental state?

case solved suicide.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Whenever I'm feeling suicidal, I always like to take a few photos to remind me later.

[4evermaat]

Did the boats even have life vests? Ranong visa run almost no one wears the life vests. But at least they are available.

[Bsd]

I am fairly sure there are life jackets on board, it has been a while since I took seatran but the other boats doing that run have them.

As for police wondering why he wasn't wearing one, this is a 200+ seat steel hulled ferry, lower deck fully enclosed upper deck half enclosed. Not some converted fishing boat, would these police officers wear a life jacket in a ferry crossing the English channel?

[crazykopite]

I travel to the islands frequently and over the past 9 years I have yet to be offered a life vest I will be doing a visit to Phagan on Wednesday it will be interesting to see if we are all made to wear them somehow I doubt they even have enough for all the passengers !

[samuijimmy]

All the ferries and tour boats have life jackets.... but like anywhere in the world, it not "cool" to wear them....

They are there if you look.... they are really not hard to find... or ask for ....

[Gandtee]

Yesterday I attended an ashes scattering ceremony in Samut Prakan. The boat we were on had flotation pads, about a 300mm square with straps to put your arms through, behind every seat. When asked before sailing, the crew supplied new life jackets still in their plastic wrappers, but not enough for every one. I am not sure how effective the pads would be? Not very I should think.

[greenchair]

Suicide.

Thai tourist company new slogan.

Why kill yourself at home , when you can kill yourself in amazing Thailand.

Thailand, land of suicidal maniacs.

[outsider]

Suicide.

Thai tourist company new slogan.

Why kill yourself at home , when you can kill yourself in amazing Thailand.

Thailand, land of suicidal maniacs.

the Hub,,,

[Tropicalevo]

Unfortunately life vests are regarded by lots of folk in the same light as crash helmets. Not Cool.

RIP and condolances to his family.

[PiPiFFS]

I was always under the impression that life jackets were there to be used in the event of the vessel sinking ? No mention of this in the report All the ferries I have used from the islands have had life jackets in abundance. As said have you ever seen anyone being handed a jacket getting on a North sea ferry back in the UK for the short crossing ?

[whaleboneman]

Yesterday I attended an ashes scattering ceremony in Samut Prakan. The boat we were on had flotation pads, about a 300mm square with straps to put your arms through, behind every seat. When asked before sailing, the crew supplied new life jackets still in their plastic wrappers, but not enough for every one. I am not sure how effective the pads would be? Not very I should think.

Put your arms through those pads and they will be highly affective at drowning you if you bump your head on the way overboard.

[PoorSucker]

OMG, nobody is wearing life jackets.

[PoorSucker]

Inappropriate try for a joke when someone dies removed.

[belg]

no pictures taken by other people on the boat? maybe there were NO lifejackets for anybody in the first place

hub of suicide ...

[BDG]

when we took the ferry from the mainland to Koh Mak a few weeks ago, wearing a life vest was compulsary, also on the way back.

Some sort of apointed officer is taking note and checking if all passengers have them on before the boat is even allowed to leave. So, it seems the south of Thailand is different in this

[tomyumchai]

ive seen lifejackets tucked away in yellowed plastic on most ferries ive used. on the koh chang ferry they are visible around the central shop and the date stamp on them is 1976. id guess that was when the ferry was first built.

i doubt the sun has damaged them at all..

[tomyumchai]

when we took the ferry from the mainland to Koh Mak a few weeks ago, wearing a life vest was compulsary, also on the way back.

Some sort of apointed officer is taking note and checking if all passengers have them on before the boat is even allowed to leave. So, it seems the south of Thailand is different in this

i would take that as a 'the ship is likely to sink at any time' kinda warning....

[off road pat]

How many tourist boats have sank in Thai waters ??? I remember a whole lot,.... one off Koh Samui a couple years ago, or was it last year...???....and a lot more the previous years....

And after every sinking...The Authority's will decide that every boat had to have enough life jackets..for as many occupants the boat had or was designed to have....!!!........LOTS OF TALK......

The law exist already but was never enforced........and .....the boat operators just borrowed or rented life jackets for a week or two and it was forgotten until the next sinking.....I have been here for over 20 years now and know of a sinking or two per year....Surat Thani, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Phuket... it's every time the same.....wait a couple of weeks and you will see the boats leave without, or with two or three life jackets for ten people......!!!!!.

Nothing ever changes.......

On a Positive note,....I remember that a Thai tourist (Probably from a high or rich family) complained that there were no life jackets on a boat to Koh Samui and he threatened to call the police,....THEY RAN TO GET SOME LIFE JACKETS FOR EVERY ONE ON THE BOAT.....but as you might imagine that was a exception....

PS: maybe they will make us buy or rent a life jacket every time we will get on a boat ??? or rent a wristband with a microchip ????....

[louse1953]

I think the tragedy is all the Belgium man,but write anything to get a headline noticed.If anything maybe Koh Phangan,at least he had been there,but not as topical as KT.were he hadn't even landed.

[Nemesis7]

RIP.

[jdinasia]

OMG, nobody is wearing life jackets.

Look under the 2 seats that it is possible to see under

.

[Rooo]

Off topic post removed.

[ableguy]

Obviously the man was deranged but perhaps not a straight forward suicide as his hands and feet were not tied.

[PoorSucker]

Look under the 2 seats that it is possible to see under

.

Yes, the police is trying to figure out why the man did not wear his life jacket.

[jdinasia]

Look under the 2 seats that it is possible to see under

.

Yes, the police is trying to figure out why the man did not wear his life jacket.

I have never worn one on that boat.