On-The-Spot Rescue UPDATE
A TEAM from Phuketwan and rescuers from the Royal Thai Navy welcomed ''hundreds'' of stranded tourists back to Thailand's mainland at Tablamu, north of Phuket, about 3am on Wednesday. Tourists were being dispersed to Phuket and Khao Lak after a day of drama in which a dive boat sank and more than 10 speedboats were forced to take shelter.
Original Report
PHUKET: Day-trip operators and dive companies have been advised by letter that a big storm was forecast to strike Phuket and the Andaman coast today and tomorrow.
The Director of the Similans National Park, Nat Kongkesorn, said tonight that he had written the letter, advising boats not to venture out on those two days.
He was speaking about 10pm as the first of hundreds of tourists stranded on a remote island in a day of drama got ready to board a rescue vessel, the Royal Thai Navy patrol boat, Pattani.
The forecast storm that swept in to strike the Andaman coast trapped about 40 daytrip speedboats and their passengers at sea.
About 400 tourists tonight were hunkered down on the island of Koh Tachai, close to the Similans group, where the storm-struck speedboats clustered for safety.
The storm also sank a liveaboard dive boat, the Jaoying (Little Princess). The boat is Phuket-owned but leased to Khao Lak Scuba Adventures, which is based in Phang Nga, the province north of Phuket.
''The dive boat was struck with large waves that swamped the vessel,'' Khun Nat said. ''I am told the rescue went quite well. There were fishing boats in the vicinity.''
Khun Nat said he had been told that there were 25 people on the dive boat, mostly Europeans, plus a crew of six.
On shore tonight at Tablamu pier north of Phuket, preparations were being made to provide warmth and food for the hundreds of tourists who will undergo a difficult passage, probably crowded on the open deck of the Pattani.
Khun Nat said the Similans area would be closed to vessels tomorrow and boat ''captains'' would be wise to await updates about the forecast for April 18.
A forecast for the region issued at 5am today advised small boats that they should stay in port to avoid three-metre waves.
The Similans, perhaps the most popular of Thailand's dive destinations, closes in May and reopens on November 1.
"The Director of the Similans National Park, Nat Kongkesorn, said tonight that he had written the letter, advising boats not to venture out on those two days." I'm an Operator in the area yet I never received such a letter, email or any other kind of warning!!! Luckily for us we weren't scheduled to go out anyway
Posted by Similan on April 16, 2013 23:20