PHANG GNA – The Thai Navy warned sea operators on Sunday of strong waves and winds in both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, following many incidents involving tourist boats.
On the side of the Andaman Sea, there were at least three accidents. Two of them were successfully rescued, while the authorities continued the search for the missing British and Thai individuals.
The Royal Thai Navy searches for two missing tourists, a British woman and a Thai woman, after a boat accident near the Surin Islands and launches a rescue operation. The incident occurred when a diving tour boat named “Sawan Tour, Reggae Queen” sank due to strong waves about 4 nautical miles south of Surin Islands National Park, Phangnga Province.
On December 24, RAdm. Wirudom Muangjeen, the navy spokesman, said the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center, Section 3, was working with maritime authorities to speed up the search for the missing tourists. The incident occurred at 09:00 on December 23, 2023.
During the incident, the Sawan Tour diving boat had 14 passengers on board. The nearby Pornsuprasane diving boat was able to rescue 12 people, two people are still missing: Miss Millicent Jane, a 56-year-old British citizen, and Mrs. Samniang Thaichana, a 60-year-old Thai citizen. Royal Thai Navy Region 3 has deployed naval vessels and aircraft for the search and rescue operation.
On the same day at 11:30 a.m., national park officials in Ao Phang Nga reported another boat accident involving the longtail boat “Mook Ka Mee Na”. The boat with four Russian tourists and a Thai guide on board capsized near the Thalu cliff due to strong winds. All five people were safely rescued by park officials.
The third incident occurred in the evening of the same day and involved the “diving tour boat “Nortika”. Three tourists got into trouble when water entered the boat while they were navigating in the waters west of Koh Kaeo, Phuket. Marine Division 3 sent the vessel to assist and reached the distressed tourists at 18:00. The tourists were then safely returned to the deep water port in Phuket.
The navy spokesman emphasized the military’s commitment to helping civilians in times of crisis and emergency. They gave the emergency contact numbers for the Navy’s Operation Center at 1696 and the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center at 1465, which are available 24 hours a day.
At the same time, the Gulf of Thailand also had passenger boat accidents. On Friday, all 102 people on the sinking ship, including foreign tourists, were fortunately saved to Koh Tao, Surat Thani Province.
On Saturday, 29 people were rescued from the Pattaya Sea after the boat capsized at 6:00 p.m.
On Sunday, the “Bundaya 19” speedboat with 73 foreign tourist and 4 crew members sank near Bu Bu Island (Sawang Island) near Koh Lek, Satun Province, due to severe wind conditions, the boat hit the waves on its way from Koh Lipe to Koh Lanta. The boat’s hull had a hole in the bottom, causing water to flood in swiftly.
The boat driver attempted to keep the boat steady close to Koh Lek so that the tourists could float on their own while waiting for the boat to rescue them. Officials helped them disembark safely at Koh Lipe.
Satun Province Governor Sakra Kapilakhan ordered Satun Marine officials to investigate whether the speedboat driver disobeyed the weather warning. If found, legal action will begin immediately.
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