Foreign tourist killed, scores injured in boat crash near famous floating market

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Nighttime tour boat collision kills 1 in Thailand

BANGKOK (AP) — A trip to see fireflies has turned into tragedy in Thailand when two boats collided in the night, killing a woman from Hungary and seriously injuring a South Korean along with nearly two dozen other tourists, police said Saturday.

One boat with 21 South Koreans and two Hungarians was returning at the end of its trip when it was struck by an empty boat going in reverse, said police Lt. Col. Bhakin Sivamethakul.

Around 20 other people, mainly from South Korea, also suffered injuries Friday night at Amphawa, a popular tourist destination about 60 kilometers (35 miles) west of Bangkok, he said.

Bhakin said that the 61-year-old Hungarian tourist was hit on the head and died. Her 62-year-old husband was injured. A 26-year-old Korean woman who was severely injured was in the intensive care unit, but doctors said her condition was not critical.

Bhakin said the drivers of the two boats both face a charge of causing death through negligence, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment, as well as failure to navigate a vessel in the proper direction.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-09-26

[Sam Jones]

Is the Hungarian womans relatives gonna get 300,000B bloodmoney like in the Terrorist Bombing ... ?

Not safe here, stay away ............

RIP

[robertthebruce]

shocking to say the least..

but after being in ''Thailand'' for a few years, its just an everyday, happening, whether its ''Road,Rail,Sea''....

Sad but True..

[NCC1701A]

so ten years in prison for this?

next time put a Mercedes emblem on the front of your boat.

works wonders.

[worgeordie]

How fast was the reversing boat going ?

regards worgeordie

[ratcatcher]

http://www.ibtimes.co.in/thailand-tourist-killed-boat-accident-near-popular-floating-market-22-injured-648112

"Both the boat drivers fled from the scene of the crash, which was 500 meters from the Amphawa Floating Market."

Classic! Nothing changes.

[Saan]

How fast was the reversing boat going ?

regards worgeordie

Why on earth do you need to know?

Do you want to know in knots, mph or kph?

[MoonShadow]

How fast was the reversing boat going ?

regards worgeordie

Why on earth do you need to know?

Do you want to know in knots, mph or kph?

Probably doesn't matter if it was a long-tail.....the propeller will do the damage!!

[deckape]

failure to navigate a vessel in the proper direction.

[godden]

THAILAND-DANGEROUS

[diehard60]

Well looks like more good news for the tourism sector here.

[DonaldBattles]

As long as there is no enforcement of the law there can never be any respect for the law. After 31 years the legal issues never change.

[Jiggo]

THAILAND-DANGEROUS

The World-Dangerous....let me off...

[IamNoone88]

Nothing will happen - certainly not 10 years.

[Broken Record]

Well looks like more good news for the tourism sector here.

Average tourist who is coming to Thailand will probably never hear of it, hardly a major disaster that's going to hit the world headlines is it ?

All you guys that predict the death of Thailand's tourism industry with every event that happens in Thailand, how many of you that live here are going to leave, how many of you that do not live here but come to Thailand for vacation, will stop coming because of a boat accident ?

Thought so....

Edited September 26, 2015 by Broken Record

[metisdead]

An off topic post has been removed.

[brewsterbudgen]

Well looks like more good news for the tourism sector here.

Average tourist who is coming to Thailand will probably never hear of it, hardly a major disaster that's going to hit the world headlines is it ?

All you guys that predict the death of Thailand's tourism industry with every event that happens in Thailand, how many of you that live here are going to leave, how many of you that do not live here but come to Thailand for vacation, will stop coming because of a boat accident ?

Thought so....

Exactly. Travelling is dangerous.

[chiang mai]

Of course such things never happen elsewhere in the world, it must be Thailand that is solely jinxed!

[luckyman]

my maid did that boat trip a few weeks back and I remember she told me it was pretty scary as she, like everybody else on board, did not get a life vest handed out and she could not swim.

no life vests ????

Edited September 26, 2015 by luckyman

[pjmansions]

These Dragon boats are dangerous as hell surprized there are not more accidents on a daily basis. Even worse at damnoen saduak market hundreds of tourist fill boats cram the waterways fine in a paddle boat but these Dragon boats are constantly lifting the blades out of the water often at face level

[bbbbooboo]

"Bhakin said the drivers of the two boats both face a charge of causing death through negligence, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment, as well as failure to navigate a vessel in the proper direction."

lol........as.if this is likely to happen ?

[lungbing]

Yes, it probably is likely to happen as neither driver is hi-so and can thus be prosecuted as an example.

[ResandePohm]

These Dragon boats are dangerous as hell surprized there are not more accidents on a daily basis. Even worse at damnoen saduak market hundreds of tourist fill boats cram the waterways fine in a paddle boat but these Dragon boats are constantly lifting the blades out of the water often at face level

Where did you get Dragon Boat from? I did just this trip to see the fire flies a few months ago. It was certainly not a Dragon Boat. In fact i didn't even see a Dragon Boat anywhere. Do you know what a Dragon Boat is? They are very stable and propelled by a team paddling to the beat of a drum. Not a boat for tourists.

I can only conclude you have no idea what you are talking about

Dragon Boat racing is a fun team sport originating from China but popular now in many countries

Edited September 26, 2015 by ResandePohm

[chiang mai]

These Dragon boats are dangerous as hell surprized there are not more accidents on a daily basis. Even worse at damnoen saduak market hundreds of tourist fill boats cram the waterways fine in a paddle boat but these Dragon boats are constantly lifting the blades out of the water often at face level

Dragon Boats!

[vogie]

How fast was the reversing boat going ?

regards worgeordie

I don't think speedometers work in reverse?

[rethaier]

Don't these boats have navigation lights. Do the operators know the rules of who gives way and to which side?

[WhamBam]

No klaxon on any of the boats to sound a warning?

[Cueball2801]

Why are so many people sick in the head. A woman dies and others injured. What speed was the boat going. Tourism industry is finished etc. I agree with BrewsterBudgen post. Our sincere condolencies to the loss of life and injured. From the thaivisa bloggers that have hearts.

[Friendly Stranger]

http://www.ibtimes.co.in/thailand-tourist-killed-boat-accident-near-popular-floating-market-22-injured-648112

"Both the boat drivers fled from the scene of the crash, which was 500 meters from the Amphawa Floating Market."

Classic! Nothing changes.

Unbelievable. Even the guy driving with passengers, not enough sense or brains to check or help those that need it. Edited September 26, 2015 by Friendly Stranger

[jonnit]

How fast was the reversing boat going ?

regards worgeordie

Why on earth do you need to know?

Do you want to know in knots, mph or kph?

Probably doesn't matter if it was a long-tail.....the propeller will do the damage!!

I think W was just playing on the old joke about a cop in the old US south who approached a white guy that had rear ended a car driven by a black guy and asked: "How fast was that boy backing up when he hit you mister". This was a popular joke among many of the black guys in the army in the 1960's when they discussed an accident. This was also on a party record which I think was by Brother Dave Gardner. For you younger guys, party records were normally 78 RPM vinyl records that contained jokes/skits which were often considered lewd at that time. Redd Foxx, Rusty Warren and Dave Gardner were some of the popular artists in the US.

Edited September 26, 2015 by jonnit