MARINE safety chief Prawet Supachai confirmed today that one of the boats that collided at the weekend was the same vessel involved in a 2005 sinking in which 15 tourists died.


A SURVIVOR of the tourist speedboat collision in between the holiday islands of Samui and Phangnan told today of the nightmare of being thrown into the water in the dark.

Prawet Supachai, ironically the man responsible for marine safety in the Samui region, told Phuketwan by telephone from his hospital bed: ''Last night I went to check what happens at a full moon party on Phangnan.

''On the way back to Samui, with 23 passengers on our boat, another boat collided with our boat.

''I heard someone shout in Thai 'Be careful, another boat is coming!' Then there was the shock of an impact, and we were all in the water.''

People were yelling for help. It was about 11.10pm, he said.

More than 30 people, a mixture of Thais and expat tourists, are now in local hospitals, with two people unaccounted for, and two expat tourists in a serious condition.

''The other boat, going from Samui to join the Phangnan full moon party, contained 39 people,'' he said. ''Everybody in both boats was wearing life jackets,'' he said.

''That's part of my job, to ensure safety at sea. I can tell you now that we think everyone is alive, thanks to wearing life jackets.''

Luckily, he said, other passing boats going to and from the full moon party were quick to stop and pick up the injured from the waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

Khun Prawet said he bobbed in the water, listening to others cry for help, for about 10 minutes.

''It was not long before official rescuers were on the scene,'' he said.

Khun Prawet, officially Director of Marine Office 4 (Samui), was being treated in Bandon Hospital on Samui for head injuries, but he was also keen to work and was checking the number of injured, listing nationalities.

Britons, Australians and Singaporeans are said to be among the injured.

Khun Prawet said he was absolutely certain there was no rain at the time of the crash, although there had been a downpour earlier in the evening.

''I don't know about lights on the boats,'' he said. ''It is something we will have to check.'' The boat was not overloaded, he said. It had the capacity to carry up to 40 passengers.

He said he was fortunate to be at the rear of the speedboat, rather than up-front, where the impact was greatest.

He added that he now realised that water safety advice telling people to call an emergency number for help was irrelevant when everyone was thrown into the water.

Thailand's Minister of Transport went from Bangkok to Samui today, to oversee the aftermath of the collision and an investigation, Khun Prawet said.