40 confirmed killed in Phuket boat accident, 16 still missing

[bkk6060]

They were all Chinese?

Gosh, how sad.

[aloha23]

21 hours ago, sgiandubh69 said:

So, severe weather warnings were clearly issued,  The operators disregarded this and the boats went out  Now 40 confirmed dead. Someone has some serious questions to answer. ‘Mai pen rai’ won’t work this time surely.

 

true NO mai pen rai this time. they choose the other classic known as "not my fault, sea fault"...

[ELVIS123456]

3 hours ago, Kerryd said:

I was reading one article on the Nation that said the other vessel that capsized was the "Sereneta" and it had 149 people on board (all rescued safely). 
(http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30349504}
"The storm and high waves caused another boat accident off Phuket. The Senereta vessel, carrying 149 passengers, sunk although no one died in the incident."

But according a linked China Daily report (linked on the Nation's front page), the same vessel (spelt Serenata) had only 35 tourists aboard. (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201807/07/WS5b3fc97ca3103349141e146a.html)

"All 35 tourists on board boat "Serenata" were rescued"

Another article mentioned that a rescue attempt involving the Phoenix had been made "in the dark" and that 43 (or 46) passengers had been taken back to Phuket. The boat must have sunk after that time.

Seeing the pictures it does look like most of those rescued had lifejackets on (one appeared to be sitting in a lifebuoy ring with no lifejacket on). That tells me that they had time to get them on (obviously) before the boat sank and that there appears to have been enough to go around (which surprises me a bit).

The only way they are going to prevent things like this from happening in the future is to crack down (hard) on the owners and captains but, T.I.T. and as was mentioned in another post, that probably won't happen and in a short time things will be right back to where there are now.

Exact same thing when it comes to tragedy striking overcrowded discos or condo buildings. All manner of promises about safety inspections and regulations and what happens ? Every thing quietens down and is forgotten. Until the next time the same thing happens again.

 

You have reminded me of siyuation I encountered in a Hotel once, and though not directly related isd is related when considering "Safety Regulations".  I was in a Thailand hotel once (9th floor)  and was looking at the view when I noticed something on the stairs - the fire exit stairs.  I opened the exit door and saw the next 3-4 floors below were completely blocked with spare furniture and stuff. I went down to the 3rd floor and from there down it was clear - BUT - the exit door on the ground floor was chained up and locked !!  I raised this with the front desk and they said  "uue lifff" ?   We only stayed one day, and from then on I never get a hotel room above 3rd floor in Thailand - ever.   

 

Safety Regulations are completerly ignored in Thailand - because there are no inspections and the staff are not trained on the issue.  Everything from Boats to Hotels to Road Use to Climbing to Bike Rentals to Electricity to Pavements to Cave Walking to .... everything.   Like most responders to this thread I have become aware by living in Thailand, and we are usually not in danger (as much) because we are aware.  But newbie tourists are in extreme danger when they come here - and IMO it is only a matter of time before the Chinese react to all the injuries and deaths - and go somewhere else (safer).  Maybe then the authorities in Thailand will realise something must change about Safety Regulations - maybe.

 

 

[Elfin]

22 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

I hope as much international attention is paid to this incident as to the boys in the cave, to ensure disasters like this are not repeated. 

 

Dont let the world think that Chinese tourists’ lives count for less than Thai footballers.

On the television here in China at the moment Classic Ray, the news bulletins are putting the boat incident before the Thai footballers.

[Sprigger]

Like everything they do, total Cowboys 

[MyFriend You]

16 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Thais fear 'no chance' of more survivors from tourist boat, nearly 60 may be dead

 

Thai Rescue workers carry the body of a victim on a stretcher, after a boat capsized off the tourist island of Phuket, Thailand, July 6, 2018. REUTERS/Sooppharoek Teepapan

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai rescuers deployed helicopters on Friday in a search for 29 people missing after the sinking of a boat carrying Chinese tourists, with one official saying he feared "no chance" of any more survivors, which would mean a death toll of nearly 60.

 

The confirmed death toll from the accident off the resort island of Phuket stood at 27, but the navy said divers had spotted "quite a few bodies" in the sunken vessel, the Phoenix.

 

The boat capsized in rough seas on Thursday with 105 people on board, 93 of them Chinese tourists along with 12 Thai crew and tour guides.

 

Television broadcast images of dozens of divers searching for the missing, while more rescuers waited on standby at a pier nearby. Seas were calm and skies clear on Friday.

 

"Right now, officials from the marine police and navy are helping to dive at the spot where the boat sank," Marine Police said in a statement.

 

"They are diving to a depth of about 40 metres (130 feet)."

 

A Marine Department official said there was probably "no chance" any more survivors could be found from inside the boat.

 

"A day and a night has passed," said the department's deputy director-general, Kritpetch Chaichuay.

 

Thailand is in the middle of its rainy season, which usually runs from May to October, and often generates high winds and flash storms in coastal areas, especially on its west coast on the Indian Ocean, where Phuket is located.

 

Police are investigating the incident. The boat, which went down about 7 km (5 miles) from shore, was properly registered and had not been overloaded, police said.

 

Tourist Police bureau deputy chief, Major General Surachate Hakparn, said in a post on Facebook tour operators had been warned about the severe weather.

 

"Be careful … nature is not a joke," Surachate wrote.

 

"The Tourist Police warned businesses in Phuket already to not take boats out from shore, but they violated this order by taking foreign tourists out," he said.

 

A representative of the operator of the boat, TC Blue Dream, declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

 

'CLOSE ATTENTION'

 

Thailand has a poor record on road and boat safety. Many tour operators have complained about lax enforcement of basic safety measures, such as seatbelts in cars and lifejackets on boats.

 

Another boat sailing in the same area also capsized on Thursday but all 35 tourists, five crew and a guide on board were rescued, the Water Safety Department of the Harbour Department said.

 

The Chinese embassy in Bangkok said it had asked the Thai government to make all-out rescue efforts, and had sent a team to Phuket to help.

 

Chinese consulate staff in southern Thailand were on the scene helping its citizens, it said.

 

Chinese tourists make up the biggest number of foreign visitors to Thailand, their numbers surging in recent years, drawn by the growing popularity of the southeast Asian nation's islands.

 

In Beijing, a foreign ministry spokesman said China's top leaders, including President Xi Jinping, were paying close attention to the incident.

 

"China expresses gratitude for the active search and rescue efforts made by Thailand," the spokesman, Lu Kang, told a regular briefing.

 

(Reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Additional reporting by Gao Liangping, Christian Shepherd and Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Robert Birsel)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-06

Rest in Peace to the Tourists and crew - I'll bet money someone saw a fish on the port side, and all 90 Chinese tourists ran over there at the same time to take a selfie photo..........and capsized the boat.  I could have missed it, but don;t think they were underway when it sank??   Note to self:  If considering a trip to the Islands and see a large group of Chinese Tourists, go to another boat.  Three no shortage of tour boats in Phuket.

[cyberfarang]

22 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

I hope as much international attention is paid to this incident as to the boys in the cave, to ensure disasters like this are not repeated. 

 

Dont let the world think that Chinese tourists’ lives count for less than Thai footballers.

If not for the cave drama, I`ve no doubts this boat sinking would have been top news.

 

The boat tragedy will be over shadowed as the media will focus more on the boys in the cave as this is considered more sensational that sells more newspapers and obtains more viewers.

[beechbum]

Probably went black ship, good money says the crew didn't do regular drills of any type, throw 100 people more than likely very unfamiliar with any type of sea conditions. Makes terrible recipe for disaster.

[redwhiteandblue]

2 hours ago, 0815 said:

... and the operators where the only ones who could not check a weather forecast bcoz busy with counting money.
Let's blame the storm only ?

 

The blame game is a national sport here.

[nickmondo]

another needless waste of life.

a trained boat captain would have known what to do in this situation.

its another disgraceful example of the care free attitude here and the total dis regard for peoples safety.

the way these Chinese tourists are rounded up like cattle and stitched up at every opportunity to get money out of them is disgraceful.

 

 

[nickmondo]

53 minutes ago, cyberfarang said:

If not for the cave drama, I`ve no doubts this boat sinking would have been top news.

 

The boat tragedy will be over shadowed as the media will focus more on the boys in the cave as this is considered more sensational that sells more newspapers and obtains more viewers.

the boys in the cave is another sad event that is going to end in disaster, unless the locals step back and let the foreigners take charge of the operation!  Lets face it, they have not got a clue what they are doing there.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

5 more bodies in Phuket boat accident victims found, 18 still missing

 

 

The bodies of five more victims of the Phoenix dive boat incident were found today in the sea off Phuket by rescue workers, raising the death toll to 38.

 

The boat capsized in  rough seas between Koh Heh and Koh Mai Thon islands on Thursday.  

 

The bodies of one female and four males, two of them young boys, were recovered from the sea by a team of divers in the search and rescue operation. 

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/5-bodies-phuket-boat-accident-victims-found-18-still-missing/

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-07-07

 

[balo]

I doubt they will find all the bodies , plenty of big fish in the area . 

[bkk6060]

30 minutes ago, nickmondo said:

disgraceful example of the care free attitude here and the total dis regard for peoples safety.

the way these Chinese tourists are rounded up like cattle and stitched up at every opportunity 

 

 

What you describe is normal life in many parts of China.

 

You seem very naive and obviously, have never been to China.

 

[realfunster]

Very sad event, hopefully some lessons will be learned.

 

On a separate note, I don’t understand why this is buried in Phuket News. I expect ‘significant’ news items of national or wider interest to be in the Thailand News forum to give your customers a single and convenient location where they can keep up to date on major events, not to have to fish around the sub-forums.

 

The same thing happened with the cave story for a few days as well.

 

Sort it out TV !

[Stoker58]

6 hours ago, whatsupdoc said:

Looking big and modern doesn't make a vessel really seaworthy. And 105 people on board seems way too many for it.

  I agree. 105 sounds like a lot. If it was overloaded that could have made it top heavy and prone to rolling.

[smileydude]

On 7/6/2018 at 4:01 PM, gregk0543 said:

Thats a big boat. It must have been big waves to sink it. Something I dont think anyone had seen there before. With several boats swamped and in trouble it is more an untimely event than any negligence. They can only go on what they have experienced in the past.

I agree.  You can forecast weather conditions to a certain degree but sudden winds are always a risk when at sea.

Passenger limits are never followed here whether it is vans, buses or boats so its always tread at your own risk which is why I avoid large group tours like the plague and prefer smaller groups.  If in boats I always have a habit of staying outdoors as you never know.  It’s tragic but unfortunately you read about ferries and boats sinking all around the world (like in South Korea) because you are at mother nature’s will and peril.

[natway09]

A  needless travesty caused simply by greed.

The Harbour Master, Ministry of Transport & the Met Office all said   "stay in port"

[LivinginKata]

9 minutes ago, natway09 said:

A  needless travesty caused simply by greed.

The Harbour Master, Ministry of Transport & the Met Office all said   "stay in port"

 

That's not what those involved in the marine business are saying. I would like to see a link to this 'stay in port' directive for this date period.

[LivinginKata]

45 minutes ago, Stoker58 said:

  I agree. 105 sounds like a lot. If it was overloaded that could have made it top heavy and prone to rolling.

 

Look at the video (and even more are being placed on social media). The boat was clearly swamped at the stern port quarter (rear left to the non nautical). Was not really rolling. 

[stevenl]

28 minutes ago, natway09 said:

A  needless travesty caused simply by greed.

The Harbour Master, Ministry of Transport & the Met Office all said   "stay in port"

No, there was no such directive or guideline.

[JemJem]

6 hours ago, sawadee1947 said:

I hope China will give out a Travel Warning so the PM will wake up. It's a shame 

 

I think the chances of China giving out a warning are very close to zero.

 

This will most probably be all forgotten in a few days' time, I am guessing. Sad.

[ubonjoe]

A comment about moderation has been removed. A repeat of it will result in formal warning.

[Briggsy]

The current narrative on Thai news is that these are nominee companies owned by Chinese, controlled by Chinese, financed by Chinese, working the Chinese package tour industry, nothing to do with Thais. It's Chinese killing Chinese. Don't know if there is any truth in this, probably some, suits the Thais.

[mettech]

I did work onto a boat similar to this one doing whale watching in the gulf of St Lawrence  Quebec Canada as a chief  Engineer and believe me when people do not listen and all move to one side of the boat you take a serious list and if there is high swells and being broad- side you flip over easily.

RIP .

[Scott]

A comment on moderation has been removed.  Stay on topic or face a suspension.  

 

[SilentReader]

No official warning that day (5th) on the TMD website https://www.tmd.go.th/en/list_warning.php

The day after yes.

[MyFriend You]

6 hours ago, JemJem said:

 

I think the chances of China giving out a warning are very close to zero.

 

This will most probably be all forgotten in a few days' time, I am guessing. Sad.

Your right about this, more people will die in China tomorrow during Lunch than died in the Tour Boat incident, might not even make the news.........

[AloisAmrein]

Again good advertising for holidays in Thailand. A very dangerous place, on sea, on the roads and even on a train or plane.

[Redline]

I’m curious how many they had to watch over 100 divers in the water?