Speedboat propeller severs Russian tourist’s leg near Maya Bay

[sipi]

Prop guards should be compulsory. Make these boats idiot proof.

[chiang mai]

Seems like everyday some gets hurts in the water or drowns in the south of Thailand. Snorkelers die,boats run over people the list goes on but everyday there is some thing. I lived On Vancouver Island for years and it is very water active. Hundreds of boats on the water at any given time. Never hear of things like this happening. Thailand is very very dangerous for vacations if you do water sports.

It seems like everyday because it is everyday,roads,boats,suicides,elephants,murders,zip wires,poisoned beds,the list goes on and on.

It seems it's becoming increasingly more dangerous being a tourist here than it ever was,these incidents should in time be on the wain they are quite the opposite and are doing the Kingdom no favours in self promotion of their tourism industry,they simply don't give a toss.

If you take the road fatalities/accidents out of the equation, I doubt very much whether Thailand is statistically more dangerous than any other exotic/beach tourist destination when calculating incidents versus the number of visitors. Remember, there's over 30 million visitors every year.

http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/travel-warnings/

[soistalker]

You know how they drive motorbikes. You know how they drive cars. You know how they drive vans. You know how they drive busses. You know how they drive trucks. Why should there be any improvement when they drive a boat?

My, my, the alienation is strong with you.

It is farang like you that make me sick. There was no alienation. What are you talking about, small child? His explanation of how Thais drive is spot on. Have you ever even been to LOS?! Stop being an irrational and irritating Thai apologist. Thais are horrible at driving everything more powerful than a tricycle.

[chiang mai]

You know how they drive motorbikes. You know how they drive cars. You know how they drive vans. You know how they drive busses. You know how they drive trucks. Why should there be any improvement when they drive a boat?

My, my, the alienation is strong with you.

It is farang like you that make me sick. There was no alienation. What are you talking about, small child? His explanation of how Thais drive is spot on. Have you ever even been to LOS?! Stop being an irrational and irritating Thai apologist. Thais are horrible at driving everything more powerful than a tricycle.

Rubbish, there are lots of good Thai drivers, it's just that the large number of very poor and unsafe ones make it seem that every driver is bad.

And enough of the "Thai apologist" crap, a different point of view on one particular subject doesn't make that person an apologist for everything Thai, especially not when they've actually thought about the subject rather than just blasted off with a massive generalization!

[lostmebike]

It makes me scared to take my family into the water, it really does.

[ronaldo0]

I think you would be safer jumping into the waters around Australia with a pile of steak attached to you than getting into the waters around Thailand !!

I see that now Koh Samui has finally fallen to this tourist pollution with jet skis on just about every beach , speedboats zooming around near jet skis and hoverboards etc!!

[PlastikbinLina]

1000 baht fine and off you go.

No problem it's only a Farang.

Yes, the poor guy won't have a leg to stand on (pardon the pun). Shocking holiday memories where everything went to pot and I do hope the victim does get proper compensation..

[CoreanoOzzie]

Russians causing problems yet again...

[CoreanoOzzie]

You know how they drive motorbikes. You know how they drive cars. You know how they drive vans. You know how they drive busses. You know how they drive trucks. Why should there be any improvement when they drive a boat?

My, my, the alienation is strong with you.

It is farang like you that make me sick. There was no alienation. What are you talking about, small child? His explanation of how Thais drive is spot on. Have you ever even been to LOS?! Stop being an irrational and irritating Thai apologist. Thais are horrible at driving everything more powerful than a tricycle.

Much easier to be a Thai-basher than a Thai apologist isn't it? If Thai driving irks you so much, I ask what the hell are you doing here?

[CoreanoOzzie]

You know how they drive motorbikes. You know how they drive cars. You know how they drive vans. You know how they drive busses. You know how they drive trucks. Why should there be any improvement when they drive a boat?

It's people like you who give all farangs a bad name. You are a disgrace to your host country.

Edited February 4, 2016 by CoreanoOzzie

[Jimbo2014]

The other year we were diving near Phuket and there were jetskis and powerboats careering around the dive sites. I asked the boat captain whether this lead to injury. He indicated the spot where a young girl had died the year before after being hit by a boat. There was no indication this had happened at all or that it had any impact on behavior. Thailand has almost no regulation of tourism. There are few safety measures. Customer service is hit or miss. If the goal is to attract more tourists from diverse backgrounds - then tourism, the environment, safety and scams need to be properly addressed. Not ignored or swept under the carpet with bold objectives of getting more Chinese into the country every year.

[kiwikeith]

Seems like everyday some gets hurts in the water or drowns in the south of Thailand. Snorkelers die,boats run over people the list goes on but everyday there is some thing. I lived On Vancouver Island for years and it is very water active. Hundreds of boats on the water at any given time. Never hear of things like this happening. Thailand is very very dangerous for vacations if you do water sports.

This might explain the body parts washing up in the Chappaya.

Seriously it shows how the self appointed one has taken these issues on board for due consideration, including elephant controls.

These will be dealt with over time, once we deal with the true perps the Burmese drivers and jail them for life.

[springheeled jack]

t he divers were injured by the propellor of the speedboat susan 2 the very boat they were diving from not a very safe situation in fact turned out to be a dangerous situation one that should not have happened

[Encid]

I visited Maya Bay in May last year.

There is a roped off area marked by buoys where you can swim and snorkel. It is supposed to be a boat-free zone..

The speed boats just ignore them, and reverse into shore with their engines raised and revving them wildly to get swimmers out of the way.

A snorkeler would have no chance of hearing them if his ears were underwater.

Totally irresponsible and totally unregulated.

045.JPG

dear encid

if a snorkelers ears are under water he hears even better because of the higher density of water.....problem is you don`t now where the sound is coming from..sound hits your eardrums at the same time..physics..

trust me..i am a former diving instructor who used to work here..legally...

divers before surfacing send up buoys...sometimes ignored by speed boat captains...or most of the times..sad but true..

i know Maya Bay very well..dived there with students....a dangerous place..

I stand corrected. I did not know that.

Thank you for enlightening me Schwabe.

The directional sound disablement would be most disturbing and worrying for a diver.

I still maintain that it is an extremely dangerous practise by the boat operators tototally ignore warning buoys and raising their motors so the propellor blades are basically slashing weapons to drive people out of the water... just so they can unload their passengers on time so their tour schedule is not incovenienced by waiting.

If it such a common dangerous practise, why is there no marine park official boat or coast guard present to ensure the safe behaviour of the tour operators and the safety of the visiting tourists?

General question - not directed to anyone in particular... unless a representative of TAT would like to respond...

[neverdie]

Wonder if the russian was told to "go make another leg".

If he doesn't, he won't be Rushin anywhere in the future.

Sorry folks, I will get my hat and coat.

[neverdie]

You know how they drive motorbikes. You know how they drive cars. You know how they drive vans. You know how they drive busses. You know how they drive trucks. Why should there be any improvement when they drive a boat?

It's people like you who give all farangs a bad name. You are a disgrace to your host country.

Why? He didn't cut anyone's leg off.

[geriatrickid]

If you take the road fatalities/accidents out of the equation, I doubt very much whether Thailand is statistically more dangerous than any other exotic/beach tourist destination when calculating incidents versus the number of visitors. Remember, there's over 30 million visitors every year.

http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/travel-warnings/

Sorry, but your logic is faulty. It falls apart because you ignore the impact of;

1. Responsible behavior, i.e. operators understand and practice the concept of safety.

2. Safety regulations and their enforcement prevent injuries.

3. Conduct of visitors.

Let's take Australia as an example. A motor boat operator is unlikely to behave in the "Thai" manner. The boat operator is licensed, trained and supervised by both the state and other drivers. Irresponsible behavior would result in a report to the authorities and most likely a well deserved thrashing from divers or other boat operators. The Australian authorities enforce safety regulations, and more importantly, participants support a code of conduct. Visitors who dive, typically know how to swim and how to behave in the water. However, the most important aspect is that the general environment is safer.

Let's look at drivers in Australia. There are speeders and drunk drivers just as there are in Thailand. The difference though is that in Australia someone is likely to intervene. It might be a friend who takes away the car keys. or it might be the server who calls a taxi, or it just might be vigilant coppers or the general public who stop someone. In Thailand, no one does anything. It's a country where the authorities are corrupt and where enforcement of safety regulations is a joke.

[Ulic]

So they sent up a safety buoy and that is what attracted the boat to come over creating

the accident. I guess this is the problem in Thailand. You are safer not being safe and

following safety procedures makes you a target. Tragic.

[Moonsterk]

The crew on the boat are amazingly unconcerned, just one guy helping him up- did they not realize the extent of the injuries ?

[Ulic]

Seems like everyday some gets hurts in the water or drowns in the south of Thailand. Snorkelers die,boats run over people the list goes on but everyday there is some thing. I lived On Vancouver Island for years and it is very water active. Hundreds of boats on the water at any given time. Never hear of things like this happening. Thailand is very very dangerous for vacations if you do water sports.

It seems like everyday because it is everyday,roads,boats,suicides,elephants,murders,zip wires,poisoned beds,the list goes on and on.

It seems it's becoming increasingly more dangerous being a tourist here than it ever was,these incidents should in time be on the wain they are quite the opposite and are doing the Kingdom no favours in self promotion of their tourism industry,they simply don't give a toss.

If you take the road fatalities/accidents out of the equation, I doubt very much whether Thailand is statistically more dangerous than any other exotic/beach tourist destination when calculating incidents versus the number of visitors. Remember, there's over 30 million visitors every year.

http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/travel-warnings/

That is a pretty big IF. and what the map indicates is it is not safe but it is similarly not safe in most

of the world as compared to first world countries.

[bangon04]

Russians causing problems yet again...

They were just "Living the Dream" , getting legless in Thailand.

[chiang mai]

If you take the road fatalities/accidents out of the equation, I doubt very much whether Thailand is statistically more dangerous than any other exotic/beach tourist destination when calculating incidents versus the number of visitors. Remember, there's over 30 million visitors every year.

http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/travel-warnings/

Sorry, but your logic is faulty. It falls apart because you ignore the impact of;

1. Responsible behavior, i.e. operators understand and practice the concept of safety.

2. Safety regulations and their enforcement prevent injuries.

3. Conduct of visitors.

Let's take Australia as an example. A motor boat operator is unlikely to behave in the "Thai" manner. The boat operator is licensed, trained and supervised by both the state and other drivers. Irresponsible behavior would result in a report to the authorities and most likely a well deserved thrashing from divers or other boat operators. The Australian authorities enforce safety regulations, and more importantly, participants support a code of conduct. Visitors who dive, typically know how to swim and how to behave in the water. However, the most important aspect is that the general environment is safer.

Let's look at drivers in Australia. There are speeders and drunk drivers just as there are in Thailand. The difference though is that in Australia someone is likely to intervene. It might be a friend who takes away the car keys. or it might be the server who calls a taxi, or it just might be vigilant coppers or the general public who stop someone. In Thailand, no one does anything. It's a country where the authorities are corrupt and where enforcement of safety regulations is a joke.

I can agree that Australia is a safer destination for tourists for many of the reasons you've cited, but that leave s a shed load of other countries where the risks are likely to be very similar to Thailand. When people go on holiday they take risks, they drink too much alcohol, engage in risky sports and they don't understand the culture of their destination, with 30 million tourists every year there will be a percentage that is going to get damaged. I'd be interested to see comparative numbers but couldn't find any, anyone?

[sawadee1947]

speedboat, scooter, bus, truck, railway, mororcycle....everyday the same.... unsafe Thailand, sometimes deadly

[HooHaa]

You know how they drive motorbikes. You know how they drive cars. You know how they drive vans. You know how they drive busses. You know how they drive trucks. Why should there be any improvement when they drive a boat?

My, my, the alienation is strong with you.

It is farang like you that make me sick. There was no alienation. What are you talking about, small child? His explanation of how Thais drive is spot on. Have you ever even been to LOS?! Stop being an irrational and irritating Thai apologist. Thais are horrible at driving everything more powerful than a tricycle.

just entering my 21st year hear, been living in thailand since 1996. perhaps that is why i dont see they whole thai nation as "they" or "them", but as individuals in their own right. who may not have had the benefit of proper road education or enforcement of safety standard.

i am apologizing for nothing, but i needn't sit back while smug foreigners waggle fingers of righteousness to make themselves feel superior.

Edited February 4, 2016 by HooHaa

[tomyumchai]

The crew on the boat are amazingly unconcerned, just one guy helping him up- did they not realize the extent of the injuries ?

they might have noticed 1 was a bit lighter than when he went in....

[iReason]

"The Krabi regional port office officials Thursday demarcated areas to be reserved for scuba diving at various attractions of this southern province’s Koh Phi Phi archipelago to prevent accidents."

Always after the horse has left the barn...

"Officials along with police and related agencies also fined two scuba-instruction boats Bt5,000 each for failing to present an instructor's licence onboard the boat and using the boat for a different purpose than what it was registered for."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Scuba-diving-areas-demarcated-after-tourist-accide-30278564.html

Edited February 4, 2016 by iReason

[soistalker]

If you think Thais in general are good drivers, you are delusional.

And it is great that you have been here more than 20 people years. I, and everyone else, is envious of you. But the Thais think about you the same way they think about a first day newbie: not as one of them but as a Farang. As someone different who they will treat different, and worse.

You've got to understand that. If you don't, you've lost the plot, old friend.

[chiang mai]

If you think Thais in general are good drivers, you are delusional.

And it is great that you have been here more than 20 people years. I, and everyone else, is envious of you. But the Thais think about you the same way they think about a first day newbie: not as one of them but as a Farang. As someone different who they will treat different, and worse.

You've got to understand that. If you don't, you've lost the plot, old friend.

A nice rant but he didn't say anything of the sort, the post went over your head by a mile at least!

[jacko45k]

You know how they drive motorbikes. You know how they drive cars. You know how they drive vans. You know how they drive busses. You know how they drive trucks. Why should there be any improvement when they drive a boat?

Improvement... with wide open spaces and very high power available to them and fewer police patrols deterioration is what I would expect.

[rosst]

Don't divers (scuba and snorkel) use flags or markers indicating their presence?

Only if they are smart or scared which you should be both in Thailand.