TWO large ferries burned and sank off Krabi Town pier early today in a 30 million baht setback for the tourist industry.
The ferries, Golden Queen and Paradise Princess 2001, made regular trips between the mainland provincial capital and the busy holiday island of Phi Phi.
Golden Queen could carry 150 passengers and Paradise Princess 2001was even larger, capable of holding 299 trippers.
It is believed that an electrical fault sparked the blaze around 2am, when there was no-one on the boats, burning them out and sinking them in shallow water.
The Governor of Krabi, Siwa Sirisaowalak, told Phuketwan he thought staff on one of the boats may have forgotten to unplug an electrical connection.
Staff regularly slept on board but were absent when the blaze broke out.
Governor Siwa said he had asked the police to investigate. He said that travellers should still be able to catch other ferries to Phi Phi.
The superintendent of Krabi police station, colonel Teeraphol Thipcharearn, said the boats were moored at the pier each evening.
The boats both belonged to the Phi Phi Family company, he said.
Staff told him there had been previous problems with an electrical fault, but it had always been contained in the past.
''The fire happened about 2am,'' he said. ''The staff were not on board. They were out eating.
''The fire began on one boat and then spread to the second vessel. The wooden superstructures burned quickly,'' he said.
The boats will have to be removed before the pier can function normally. The owner of the company was on the way to Krabi Town by boat today.
Governor Siwa has a plan to build a marina off Krabi Town, near where the boats went down.
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The ferries, Golden Queen and Paradise Princess 2001, made regular trips between the mainland provincial capital and the busy holiday island of Phi Phi.
Golden Queen could carry 150 passengers and Paradise Princess 2001was even larger, capable of holding 299 trippers.
It is believed that an electrical fault sparked the blaze around 2am, when there was no-one on the boats, burning them out and sinking them in shallow water.
The Governor of Krabi, Siwa Sirisaowalak, told Phuketwan he thought staff on one of the boats may have forgotten to unplug an electrical connection.
Staff regularly slept on board but were absent when the blaze broke out.
Governor Siwa said he had asked the police to investigate. He said that travellers should still be able to catch other ferries to Phi Phi.
The superintendent of Krabi police station, colonel Teeraphol Thipcharearn, said the boats were moored at the pier each evening.
The boats both belonged to the Phi Phi Family company, he said.
Staff told him there had been previous problems with an electrical fault, but it had always been contained in the past.
''The fire happened about 2am,'' he said. ''The staff were not on board. They were out eating.
''The fire began on one boat and then spread to the second vessel. The wooden superstructures burned quickly,'' he said.
The boats will have to be removed before the pier can function normally. The owner of the company was on the way to Krabi Town by boat today.
Governor Siwa has a plan to build a marina off Krabi Town, near where the boats went down.
Krabi Builds Marina, Lanta Bridge to Future
Take a Photo Tour Krabi is more go-ahead than it seems with improved roads and a bridge on the way to link two key islands. A white wat is a surprise attraction, and a marina is likely soon.
Krabi Builds Marina, Lanta Bridge to Future
Jellyfish Market Stung By Slipsliding Economy
Photo Album Just when supply is booming, demand goes into reverse. There's a lesson in local economics as the Andaman edible jellyfish industry feels the sting of the global downturn.
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I wish them good luck discussing the matter with their insurance :-)
Posted by Fritz Pinguin on April 23, 2009 11:18