Accidents at sea in Thailand
Although it is not always safe to travel on land, the necessary events also take place at sea. Part of it is due to not following the weather forecasts. As a result, risks are taken that could have been avoided.
A Swiss family had taken a boat trip to Koh Nang Yuan. On the way back the weather had been good. However, on the way back the waves got higher and higher and just before Koh Tao the boat was hit by a big wave and the family was thrown out of the boat. Fortunately, everyone wore a life jacket and could reach the beach on their own.
During a trip in the vicinity of Koh Khao Phing Kan (the James Bond island), two boats collided. One boat had Chinese tourists, while the other had European people. The accident happened due to poor visibility and rough seas that caused the boats to crash into each other. 20 tourists were thrown into the sea, but were saved. They could all be treated in hospital, but 3 people had to stay longer for treatment. The other (longtail) boat had less damage and injuries with Norwegians and Belgians on board. Although the meteorological service had warned not to sail because of the high waves, this was not heeded.
The third speedboat accident left 5 dead. A diving teacher and four Thai tourists were killed; none of them wore lifejackets. Here too, the warnings for storms and heavy seas were not heeded and the boat capsized 16 kilometers from the coast.
Tourists considering a boat trip should keep an eye on the weather forecast (www.windguru.cz/1587) It sometimes happens that the weather can change very quickly, despite the fact that it seemed so good at first. A few things can also be followed on many apps. Don't listen to the boatmen who try to convince you, they want to earn in the end.
Well,
Safety on board also leaves much to be desired.
We sailed with the regular ferry boat from Phuket to Kho Pi Pi and this large boat had room in the "front" of more than 600 seats, but there were only 2 narrow doors to get in and out.
If this boat sinks, very, very, very, many people will drown. The ferry from Pattaya to Hua Hin also has many seats in the front and only two doors to get out.
For aircraft, all passengers must be able to leave the aircraft within 90 minutes. But with a Thai boat they have never thought of such a thing.
Greetings Gerrit
@Gerrit: Isn't it 90 seconds instead of 90 minutes?
Passengers are often required to wear a life jacket.
In case of a calamity, the captain will have to take the lead.
This one doesn't wear a life jacket and I suspect most of them can't swim either.
The boats at James Bond Island sank not because of the rough weather but because of inattention/bravado. Weather forecasts here are very unreliable, TMD is very often wrong and is the source of the official warnings, which are almost always unjustified or after the bad weather come. The site mentioned, Windguru, is the most reliable one.
I'm going to sea in a bit, and it looks good for today and the next few days 🙂