SATUN — 16 June 2026, Four Indonesian fishermen who survived more than a week adrift at sea after their boat’s engine failed and they fashioned a makeshift sail from burlap sacks have been rescued off Satun, Thai authorities said.
Authorities said the vessel’s engine failed on 5 June, leaving it adrift in the Malacca Strait for approximately 9 days before it drifted into waters off Satun, where four crew members were rescued. Two other crew members had earlier been rescued by a Malaysian vessel.
According to officials, the crew improvised a sail by sewing together burlap sacks in a desperate attempt to steer the vessel back toward Indonesia. Instead, strong southwest monsoon winds pushed the boat northwards into waters off Satun province.
The case came to light after local fishermen reported seeing several men floating in the sea and calling for help about 13 nautical miles from Koh Adang, within the vicinity of the Tarutao National Park area.
The Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai-MECC) and security agencies later located the vessel and brought the four surviving crew members ashore to Koh Rawi, where they were provided with food, drinking water, clothing and medical checks on humanitarian grounds.
Initial questioning confirmed the men were Indonesian nationals from North Sumatra who had set out on a fishing trip before their vessel suffered mechanical failure.
Officials said the crew drifted for nine days, relying on limited supplies. As their situation worsened, some crew members jumped into the sea to approach passing Thai fishing boats and request food and water.
Thai fishermen reportedly provided supplies but were reluctant to take the men aboard because of rough seas and concerns they could be illegal migrants or pirates.
Information shared through regional authorities later confirmed the vessel matched reports of a missing Indonesian fishing boat named Teratai, which had departed Langkat Regency in North Sumatra with six crew members.
The vessel had been adrift in Indonesian waters after the engine failure and gradually drifted towards the maritime boundary area between Thailand and Malaysia.
During the ordeal, two crew members became separated from the vessel and were rescued by a Malaysian boat. They were later returned to Indonesia.
The remaining four crew members continued drifting aboard the disabled vessel until they were rescued by Thai authorities on Monday.
Satun Governor Kanit Kongchuay said authorities had ordered the men and their vessel to remain in a safe location until sea conditions improve.
“We have instructed Thai-MECC and security agencies to provide food, drinking water and clean clothing in accordance with humanitarian principles,” he said.
“Once weather conditions improve and their health has recovered, authorities will conduct further interviews. If no irregularities are found, they will be transferred to Satun Immigration Police for processing under immigration laws.”
Authorities stressed that the men appeared to be distressed fishermen rather than migrants or criminal suspects.
