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Rescued tourists arrive back on the mainland about 3am today

4am UPDATE Phuket Tourists Safely Ashore After Navy Rescues 'Hundreds'

Tuesday, April 16, 2013
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.

Comments

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"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

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Greed no attention paid to weather warnings just a bunch of idiots the monsoons are here het the last few $ out of unsuspecting Koreans and Chinese and Risk theirs and everybody else including the rescuing Navy

Posted by Phuket Game Fishing Club on April 17, 2013 02:42

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There is no excuse not to follow the weather forcasts. It is not compatible with good seamanship to go out with a speed boat in open sea when the meteorological department already 14 April wrote on their website:
Warning
"Low Pressure in lower South China Sea"
No. 12 Time Issued : April 14, 2013
The low pressure still covers the Andaman Sea with strong easterly wind over the South. Torrential rainfall remains the areas (Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung and Songkhla). Isolated heavy to very heavy rain will be likely in the South with the wind-waves 2-3 meters high in thundershowers areas. All ships should proceed with caution.

And the day after it said:
Warning
"Low Pressure in lower South China Sea"
No. 16 Time Issued : April 15, 2013
The low pressure covers the Andaman Sea with the rather strong easterly wind over the Gulf and the South. Fairly widespread rainfalls and isolated heavy to very heavy rain are likely the South. People in Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Ranong and Phang-nga should beware of heavy to very heavy rain during 1-3 days. Wind-waves 2-3 meters high are likely in the Gulf and the Andaman Sea. All ships in the areas should proceed with caution and small boats in the Andaman Sea should keep shore during 15-17 April, 2013.

It is the duty for any operator to check the weather before any trip.
Here is the link: http://www.tmd.go.th/en/list_warning.php

I have been working in the busines for two years and I can tell that there is no speed boat that carry any life raft and the number of diving boats with such devices is not many. Similan Islands are about 55 km out in open sea...

Posted by OJ on April 17, 2013 07:11

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These tourist must be really disgusted at the lack of respect for their lives, safety and holiday. how many will tell their family and friends not to come back to Thailand. The atmosphere here is don't worry there will be others coming soon.

Posted by Fiesty Farang on April 17, 2013 12:50

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People blaming greed for the catastrophe probably don't have any idea how difficult it is to survive in Phuket's economic environment (not to mention to be profitable). Competition is everywhere and the high season is the only period where dive operators can make money. Storms are usually mild and shrugged off , this one was an exception.
I can only imagine these fat, wealthy and lazy expats, sitting down in their luxury villas, critizising businesspeople for their greed ...

Posted by william on April 17, 2013 14:31

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You believe everything you read ?
The letter that was supposed to warn everyone was faxed THIS morning to dive centers.
Letting us know not to go out yesterday and today.
This letter should have been sent on the 15th if you want to warn for the 16th, not a day after the facts

Posted by Anonymous on April 17, 2013 14:51

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William, does that justify risking peoples lives?

Posted by Phuket_IOC on April 17, 2013 15:06

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William at the low level, like boat boy it is hard to earn a living, the Divemasters/Instructors in most cases do it for a lifestyle choice and the owners both Thai and foreign are in many cases very wealthy. The boat was 15M Baht not a small amount of money, then you have the equipment, office and off course staff, owners are rich. Safety should be No.1 but I understand that people are not paying US/European prices however I think most would think the safety and insurance standard are higher than they are. Years ago going to the Similans the dive company piled dozens of bags and in rough seas the luggage bounced and my very expensive phone's screen was broken. When I tried to claim from them they basically took the attitude that it didn't happen on the boat but happened before which is typical - back to my point GREED.

Posted by Fiesty Farang on April 17, 2013 17:03

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@william: I'm not a fat, wealthy, lazy expat and neither do I have a luxury villa, but I do agree wholeheartedly that greed takes precedence over safety in regards to a number of dive company operators. Simply by stating that storms are usually mild and shrugged off and competition is strong, demonstrates your greed to rake in money in the high season come rain or shine and treat tourists as your source of cash, no matter what. Perhaps somebody in the know can post the name of the company you are with, so that in the name of safety, people can avoid you; as no doubt will all the fat, wealthy, lazy expats.
PS: If you can't make a living on Phuket, go somewhere else.

Posted by Pete on April 17, 2013 17:07

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hey William charter one of my aircraft we are flying in a hurricane tomorrow we will shrug it off at last a passenger who understands the economic climate slim profit margins & high competition, parachutes are supplied
see you on board.

Posted by slickmelb on April 17, 2013 22:31


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