Six dead in Pattaya ferry sinking

[Chromeman]

Police say six tourists, including two Russians and a Chinese, were killed when an overcrowded ferry sank off Pattaya.

Pol Col Suwan Cheawnavinthavat said about 200 Thai and foreign tourists were on a double-decker ferry that left Koh Lan for the 30-minute trip to Pattaya on Sunday.

Source: Bangkok Post, Coconuts Bangkok

Coconuts Bangkok also have a picture from the site on their FB page.

[MrD]

And 22 missing according to Swedish and Finnish newspapers......

[Chromeman]

Bangkok Post has moved the article...

And here is the AP posting.

[usual suspect]

AP posting reports that when the craft developed engine trouble the tourists all left the 1st deck up to the one above..(thus causing an imbalance)..so yet again it would seem it's the tourists to blame for this incident!
R.I.P. the poor souls who lost their lives to what seems like the usual standard of safety here in the L.O.S.

[Chromeman]

This post in Pattaya One says:

Unconfirmed reports suggest a water pump was not working on the vessel which caused it to sink in under 1 minute after passengers quickly moved to the upper-deck making the boat highly unstable.

And a Norwegian newspaper mentioned that the intake of water caused panic among the passengers.

[PeteC]

I'm curious to what type of vessel it was, so anyone please post a photo or description if you read about it. I couldn't find the info so far. There are one or two of the old Hong Kong Star Ferry vessels there but it's hard for me to imagine it was one of those as they were being used as restaurants per my knowledge. Pete

[johnnyk]

I've been on that tub and thought it was only a matter of time. An old wooden vessel with passengers packed in and I suspect many untrained crew members and maybe a few backhanders to "certify" safety and seaworthiness. I can imagine the difficulties getting out from the interior if the ferry started taking on water, the cabin is pretty jammed up with narrow aisles and I suspect they regularly load more passengers than the safety regs specify, always plenty of "last minute" people being hustled aboard as it cast off.
It's all about baht, baht, baht.

[mermaid]

There is a fleet of these ferries comprising 2-deck (takian) timber boats of various sizes - they nearly all belong to 2 local families on Koh Larn.
In fact, our seagoing boat "The Peacock" is the same design and was originally built in Pattaya as a ferry to Koh Larn.

The press reports are somewhat confusing.
One says the situation occurred as a result of 'engine problems' - this in itself would not cause passengers to panic or the boat to sink.
Another says that the 'water pumps' failed. There are usually 2 water pumps in a vessel like this, i.e. 1 x 12 volt pump and 1 x 240 volt, so both failing simultaneously seems hardly likely - or maybe one was not working anyway and the 2nd one then malfunctioned.
However, this in itself should not cause a problem during a 20-30 minute journey. If functioning properly, the only (intentional) water ingress occurs at the prop shaft bushing, allowing a small amount of water to enter as coolant for the prop shaft.

However, the (timber) prop shaft bushing has a maximum service life of approx. 1 year, or less in the case of a vessel being used on a constant basis every day. As the bushing vibrates, wears and loosens, the amount of water ingress increases. The boat then has to rely on the bilge pumps to discharge the excess water.
Secondly, these boats have to be taken out of the water in order to be cleared of barnacles, and be recaulked and antifouled at least once a year.
If this is not done, leaks will appear in the hull, initially as hairline cracks and then eventually as a split between the planks or even a plank rotting and becoming detached.

I imagine that the passengers panicked once they realized the boat was taking water and that they then decided to move to the upper deck. When a boat starts taking a lot of water, she soon becomes unstable. Rapid movement to one section of the upper deck by a large number of passengers on a severely overloaded boat (there's no way this vessel could be licensed for 200 pax) will then increase that instability and the vessel will capsize.

I have been on these boats before - there is no passenger list, very few lifebelts/jackets visible and zero instructions from the crew.

The fact that it was 'an old wooden vessel' is of no relevance at all. There are 2 kinds of boat/ship - well maintained vessels and poorly maintained vessels. Just look at some of the very old tall ships still operating - all made of timber!

This incident sounds like criminal negligence - i.e. the boat was simply not adequately maintained.

As johnnyk says, it's all about money - how on earth, though, can people expect to go on a boat like this, pay only 20 baht for a return trip and imagine that it's safe.

Fortunately, the authorities in Prachuabkirikhan are a lot stricter. Our boats are inspected by the shipping department every year to make sure we comply with all the safety regulations before our operating licence is renewed.

2 pics below as comparison.

God rest the souls of those that perished and a speedy recovery to the injured.

[Spitfire]

Many people have no idea of the safety risks they take when going on a 'dream' holiday somewhere exotic like Thailand.

This incident sounds like criminal negligence - i.e. the boat was simply not adequately maintained.

That is probably the size of it......can perhaps throw in a dash of indifference and greed too.

[johnnyk]

Well said.

[Bristolian]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/37 ... erry-sinks
Police said that apart from the six dead, all of the 150-200 others on the boat -- including many Russians -- were believed to have been rescued. Nineteen people were injured.

"We don't expect to find any more dead. One Russian boy is seriously ill in intensive care," said Pattaya police chief Colonel Suwarn Chiewnawintawat.

"The captain ran away. We will issue an arrest warrant for him," he said. "Divers will recover the boat today. We still don't know the cause."

"We still don't know the reason for the accident. I am not sure if there are more dead or not, because we don't know how many people were on the boat," said Thai rescue diver Suttipong Boonmachai.

[PeteC]

Some things really beggars belief here. A bag full of manure with a smiley face pasted to the outside seems a good description. We'll get knee jerk reactions and a lot of speeches and promises, to be followed by apathy as usual. The tourists will continue to flow in forgetting about it all in a few weeks.

The loss of face and threat to income simply isn't big enough to facilitate significant change. Pete

[barrys]

Many people have no idea of the safety risks they take when going on a 'dream' holiday somewhere exotic like Thailand.

This incident sounds like criminal negligence - i.e. the boat was simply not adequately maintained.

That is probably the size of it......can perhaps throw in a dash of indifference and greed too.

Three factors that are inextricably interlinked!

[HHTel]

On the new tonight, it seems that the skipper was high on Ya Baa and has already been arrested. More to this story than first reported.

[Chromeman]

Bangkok Post has a postingabout the captain being arrested and confessing being high.