These type of tour boating activities simply should not be allowed to take place during weather like this..Change the laws already..These "captains" obviously haven't a clue what they're doing

Posted by sky on October 5, 2014 18:40

In 10 days, Similan and Surin Islands National Parks will be open to tourism and many dive liveaboard boats have pre-bookings from oversea (Europe, north-America) and will not cancel the trips in case of bad weather... that is sure 200%
Opening of marine National Parks in the Andaman Sea should be open only to day trippers until the beginning or middle of November and open to liveaboard bots in the middle of November.
same problem in april as DNP have changed the closure from 30 april to 15 May and everyone knows that the South-West monsoon start at the end of Aprils and some liveaboard boats sunk already on the end of April during storms.

Posted by Whistle-Blower on October 5, 2014 19:43

" ... many dive liveaboard boats have pre-bookings from oversea (Europe, north-America) and will not cancel the trips in case of bad weather... that is sure 200%" - and that statement is 200% untrue and in other countries (I don't think Thailand)potentially libellous. I have friends in the Dive Business in both Khao Lak and Phuket, the two principal bases for liveaboard tours to the Similans and Surins and they place customer safety above financial considerations when faced with bad weather. This is especially so in the first two weeks in May and last two in October when, in their wisdom, the National Park Authorities have for the past few years chosen to open the Similans and Surins. If the weather is bad, they do not go and trups are cancelled or postponed. Indeed this is the case during the Dry Season when there are periods of dangerous ocean conditions. To suggest otherwise and implying that all operators are alike is not sustainable.

Posted by Alan on October 5, 2014 21:13

W.B.'s comment has nothing to do with the case. Here it is a longtail boat and not a 20+ meters dive boat, built for these kind of trips. He should not judge other serious operators but better mind his own boat and business. Charly don't surf...

Posted by Resident on October 5, 2014 22:27

When do people learn to take care them self using lifewest at sea and helmets in traffic so we can avoid these tragic accidents. Dont blaim Thailand for this people just have to start using common sence and take better care of them self

Posted by Anonymous on October 5, 2014 23:56

so this was 10-15minutes drive with a shuttle long-tail boat between Ao Nang and Railey?
actually people who stay at Railey goes all the time to Ao Nang and back , incl.in the evening for dinner or entertainment
never seen on that route a single life jacket, it actually operates as a kind of public bus in the sea
I think "non-suitable sea conditions" doesn't exist for those "captains"
moreover as WB mentioned many times that these "captains" lack any formal training and acknowledged qualification
would be even more interesting if these unlucky guys were Rayawadee patrons...
pronounced possible jail terms are quite long, that you make a graph , Wealth - How Serious The Crime Is - The Real Jail Time, remembering e.g. Santika Pub data
"captain" can indeed get 10yrs that in comparison with punishments in Santika's case would look as an abuse of justice; or to highlight the other way round

Posted by Sue on October 6, 2014 00:23

There are 2 sides to this.

Quite a lot of operators, daytrip or liveaboard, do cancel when the forecast is not good, we have cancelled all trips and will probably start again on thursday e.g. Others have gone out in spite of the warnings.

Quite often the warnings are wrong and give a wrong impression, but any prudent divecenter or operator should have realised these last days that it was going to be bad and should have cancelled.

I really don't like the idea of somebody not allowing boats to go out, but the behaviour of some operators and divecenters is asking for measures like that.

Posted by stevenl on October 6, 2014 10:21