Pattaya-Koh Lan passenger boat sinks

[Thaivisa News]

Pattaya, Chon Buri:- A passenger boat sank shortly after it left Koh Lan heading back to the Pattaya shore Sunday evening, police said. All of its 82 passengers were safely rescued by two other passenger boats.

Pattaya police chief Pol Col Sukthat Pumpanmuang was alerted that a passenger boat was sinking in the sea off Thonglang beach of Koh Lan. He dispatched police officers to inspect the accident and they found the Phet Thara 7 boat gradually sinking and all 82 passengers, who are officials from the Buri Ram Court, had been evacuated to two other passenger boats.

[Photo credit: Khaosod Online]

Khamtan Thungthaisong, 47, the boat skipper, said he had received the group of passengers from Tawaen beach to take them back to Pattaya but when the boat sailed past the Thonglang beach, water gushed into the boat's bottom.

As a result, he sent out an SOS for boats nearby to evacuate the passengers while his boat gradually sank. He said he did not know what caused the water to leak into the boat.

Later on, Rewat Phoriang, the director of the Harbor Region 6 Office, which is in charge of Pattaya, ordered the owner of the boat to salvage it to find out what caused the accident.

Rewat said the boat might hit a rock, causing a hole in its hull, or its water pump might malfunction.

He praised the boat skipper for sending SOS signal in time for safe evacuation of passengers.

The Phet Thara company has changed its name from Koh Lan Travel after one of its boat sank in the Pattaya Sea, a source said.

[soihok]

So they have had two boats sink.

Must have been really scary for the passengers, especially those with children.

[h90]

So they have had two boats sink.

Must have been really scary for the passengers, especially those with children.

So after the first boat sunk they learned, what?

NOTHING.....

At least some new dive spots.....

[catterwell]

"Its water pump might malfunction". If the boat sank because the pump failed, then the hull could probably be described as "leaky".

[h90]

"or its water pump might malfunction" if the bilge pump doesn't work it should be able to safely go there and back, unless the boat is already so rotten down that only the pump keeps it afloat.

[Khun Riki]

what a mess!!!

[DD13]

Two pieces of advice I would give to any visitor

1). Don't use the "mini van" transport

2). Don't use these ferries to the Islands. Or for that matter. "anywhere"

[Chang_paarp]

They must have stashed all the excess fares some place, then the lack of maintenance caused the floor of the boat to collapse.

[Gunna]

" 82 passengers, who are officials from the Buri Ram Court, "

Must be a lot of crime in Buriram

Nice to get a long week-end junket

[sotsira]

They should give every passenger a life jacket as they board these old decrepit boats.

[zakk9]

Thai definition of boat: Device that floats on top of the water until it sinks.

[Local Drunk]

If it's not a bus then it's a boat. There seems to be a real problem with the gravity here. I'm surprised he didn't say his brakes failed him.

Edited June 1, 2015 by Local Drunk

[JakeSully]

2nd time in 18 months

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

That's why the boat hit a rock, of course... The skipper tried to put on the brakes, but the brakes failed.... Plus it was raining, so the boat slid on the water uncontrollably.... causing the accident.

[deckape]

He said he did not know what caused the water to leak into the boat.

Head pressure and downflooding into a hull breach or shaft packing most likely. Maybe exacerbated by overloading, who knows?

[Banzai99]

Two pieces of advice I would give to any visitor

1). Don't use the "mini van" transport

2). Don't use these ferries to the Islands. Or for that matter. "anywhere"

General ThaiVisa member advice appears to be don't come to Thailand at all.

Though those that give such advice with their continual moaning and whining and still choose to live here by choice ( Those that actually do live in Thailand that is, I suspect most don't), shows that Thailand has faults the same as everywhere else, but it ain't as bad as forums like this one make it out to be, else they wouldn't be here themselves would they.

[brewsterbudgen]

They should give every passenger a life jacket as they board these old decrepit boats.

The main ferries have life jackets but it's up to the passengers if they choose to wear them.

[Basil B]

Well I hope the boat operators gets their day in court... but somehow I think they will be saying they will not get a fair trial...

[Basil B]

So they have had two boats sink.

Must have been really scary for the passengers, especially those with children.

So after the first boat sunk they learned, what?

NOTHING.....

At least some new dive spots.....

But the boat owners have been ordered to salvage it...

But then when do Thais do as they are told?

But as it is made of wood it will not last long as a dive site (particularly if it was as rotten as has been suggested), also I suspect it is right in the main shipping channel even if it is deep enough not to be a hazard to the ferries passing over it, the ferries will be a big hazard to divers diving it.

[BigBadGeordie]

" 82 passengers, who are officials from the Buri Ram Court, "

Must be a lot of crime in Buriram

Nice to get a long week-end junket

No crime here in Buriram, that's why they all went for a "study weekend" to Pattaya ;-)

[Carl64]

Good job to the boat captain. No one drowned.

[dopenhagen]

there is something strange and unique about thai mentality, when you look at Wikipedia at the most deadly roads in the world, and Thailand on number 4 is the only country in that end of the list that most of us even remotely would consider civilised, and they are only road deaths... not counting all the other deaths, like e.g. boat or plane accidents... until some Thai people start talking about this in a straight way, I have and reserve every right to criticise Thai people's immaturity and irresponsibility, regardless of where in the world I am, however even more so since Im in Thailand and love Thailand very much, enough to be here and enjoy the good sides, and enough to even bother trying to make a change by discussing the problems...

So, to the Thai people, if you want to shut the critics, reflect on the truth of the situation and improve, then you will shut the critics, not by whining about being criticised !

Edited June 1, 2015 by dopenhagen

[graeme64]

This is nothing new and nothing Thai specific. There was a dive boat positioned permanently out at sea on the GREAT Barrier Reef - it had a large hole in the hull and the pump and generator ran 24 hours a day to keep the boat afloat, passengers were never told.

One afternoon the boat I was working on as a dive instructor had to moor up alongside because our engineer HAD to fix the pump is it suddenly gave up the ghost. and when I say had to fix - I mean it!!!

this was in Aust on the ' Great Barrier Reef' so dont think this is a Thai issue, just greed, which is prevalent and more obvious here - but dont think it is exclusive!

G

[mango66]

police asked the boat owner to find out the reason ! no police action required,

as all where court staff from Buri Ram,

( What would have been in Buri Ram if complete staff would have been gone ?

( or it was anyway a ORDER of the Junta to sink the boat with " everything on the boat ""

( clean up corruption - operation - or just a warning -test - what could happen infuture ???

when the Koh Tao Boat with Village haed and staff will be flooded ??

[anto]

Two pieces of advice I would give to any visitor

1). Don't use the "mini van" transport

2). Don't use these ferries to the Islands. Or for that matter. "anywhere"

General ThaiVisa member advice appears to be don't come to Thailand at all.

Though those that give such advice with their continual moaning and whining and still choose to live here by choice ( Those that actually do live in Thailand that is, I suspect most don't), shows that Thailand has faults the same as everywhere else, but it ain't as bad as forums like this one make it out to be, else they wouldn't be here themselves would they.

Yep ,its a moan fest on Thaivisa.The Thais are always stupid,and the poster is a superior form of life ,who belittles himself to come live here.

[Lupatria]

Thank Buddha! No break malfunction this time.

[maoro2013]

Unless there are children who are officials of Buriram our there were no children aboard

[maoro2013]

Unless there are children who are officials of Buriram court there were no children aboard

[Lee4Life]

If it's not a bus then it's a boat. There seems to be a real problem with the gravity here. I'm surprised he didn't say his brakes failed him.

That's because it was definitely the wet roadway!

[skippie999]

if the boat runs on a rock the shipper feel that

if the boat was leak long time before the shipper would see that the bilge pump never stops pouring water out.

why they don't think bout someone punching in a hole before he departed?

the 2 other reasons are too obvious to believe