PHUKET: A 10 million baht ferry boat and its cargo sank off Phuket yesterday with the captain flinging himself into the sea wearing a lifejacket to float and await rescue.
Despite wild weather warnings, the 18.2 metre vessel owned by Hotel Management and Training Centre was plying between Phuket and Phi Phi with a load of construction equipment when waves swamp the vessel and it began taking water.
The captain, Abhichart Larwtong, 47, opted to abandon the vessel. A passing speedboat plucked him from the water.
Marine Police later placed a buoy at the spot where the goods ferry went down in the hope other vessels will avoid the wreck.
It's estimated that the vessel and its cargo were worth 10 million baht. The vessel was based at Rassada Pier, near Phuket City.
Captains on Phuket make up their own minds individually about whether to put to sea even if bad weather is forecast by meteorological authorities.
Water safety experts are calling for change that delivers ''a complete overhaul in training, regulation and compliance.''
Despite wild weather warnings, the 18.2 metre vessel owned by Hotel Management and Training Centre was plying between Phuket and Phi Phi with a load of construction equipment when waves swamp the vessel and it began taking water.
The captain, Abhichart Larwtong, 47, opted to abandon the vessel. A passing speedboat plucked him from the water.
Marine Police later placed a buoy at the spot where the goods ferry went down in the hope other vessels will avoid the wreck.
It's estimated that the vessel and its cargo were worth 10 million baht. The vessel was based at Rassada Pier, near Phuket City.
Captains on Phuket make up their own minds individually about whether to put to sea even if bad weather is forecast by meteorological authorities.
Water safety experts are calling for change that delivers ''a complete overhaul in training, regulation and compliance.''
In Thailand, there is no marine training center in the Andaman Sea and the 2 marine training centers are in Samut Prakan (Government) and Pattaya (Private School).
Therefore, all boat captains have no choice but to work one year at least with a boat operator company and to be eligible to apply to get a helmsman boat licence by complacency without proper training in marine regulation, safety and rescue.
Boat operators in Thailand along the Andaman Sea would be happy to have a marine training center to get better skilled boat crews.
MERCHANT MARINE TRAINING CENTRE - 120 Moo 7, Soi Tessaban 6, Sukhumvit Road, Bangduan, Samut Prakan 10270 THAILAND Tel: 02 756 49 71/80 Website: http://www.mmtc.ac.th FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/ThaiMMTC
ASIAN MARITIME TECHNOLOGICAL COLLEGE - 79/4 Moo 4, Bung, Sriracha,
Chonburi 20230 THAILAND Tel: 038 042 011 Mobile: 086 377 71 98 Email: russell@amcol.ac.th Website: http://www.amcolasia.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/.../554964131202349
Posted by Whistle-Blower on July 12, 2014 12:51