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Tourists Rescued Safely from Pattaya Ferry in Second Emergency
By Prasit Tarnsirisin Tuesday, June 2, 2015
PHUKET: All 102 Chinese tourists on a ferry returning to Pattaya pier after a holiday outing were rescued when the crew feared a fire was breaking out on board yesterday.
It was the second evacuation from a Pattaya ferry in as many days.
The captain of the Rungorawan 2 raised the alarm with the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation about 1pm and several speedboats quickly pulled alongside the stricken vessel to take off all passengers.
The ferry was about halfway in the eight-kilometre voyage between Koh Larn, popular for day-trip beach outings, and Pattaya Pier.
The small fire in the engine room was quickly contained. It was about the same spot in the journey that another ferry, Petchthara 7, sank in slow motion on Sunday, with all of its 82 tourist-passengers escaping safely.
Concerns about ferries and safety have become more intense since an overloaded ferry sank off Pattaya in 2013 with the loss of seven lives.
A Krabi to Phuket ferry also burned and sank off Krabi on April 8 this year with a young Israeli passenger going down with the vessel.
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Comments
Comments have been disabled for this article.
Tourism safety is priority number one for Thai authorities.
Unfortunately many assume this means tourist safety when it actually means protecting the tourism INDUSTRY at any cost.
This is most commonly seen in trying to hide and suppress any news deemed damaging to the tourism industry image.
The safety of tourists itself is irrelevant.
Posted by
Herbert
on
June 2, 2015 11:08
Editor Comment:
That's more than a bit unkind, Herbert. You are drawing Doomsayer conclusions when there's no evidence for it. Your opinion adds no value. It's totally negative and scurrilous.
How passengers get to the highest floor of the boat, by that kind of stairs? Amazing boat!
Posted by
Sue
on
June 2, 2015 11:24
It was just after Songkran, I think on 17th, on an annual day trip Tachai is, with Love Andaman operator, that serves mostly middle class Thai tourists and its facilities are more premium vs. other operators.
We were only foreigners beside two more Swiss persons.
Everyone has been given life-jacket on departure from Tab Lamu, as well as off Tachai is.
Boat was not excessively full.
Thais on holidays were adorable and serene.
Since it seems many of them are taking managerial positions they automatically directed fellow travelers, incl. farangs, to seat diwn, to wear jackets on departure off snorkeling spots, to immobilize stuff etc.
Can't say no regard for tourist safety.
Also we were strictly briefed not to feed fish, not to touch and remove marine life and circle etc.
Posted by
Sue
on
June 2, 2015 11:57
@ Ed
Present me with evidence about advances made in tourist safety in Thailand and I shall stand corrected.
There's plenty of evidence about abysmal and lackadaisical tourist related safety standards and procedures reported all over the international media.
Including the PW.
Posted by
Herbert
on
June 2, 2015 12:49
Editor Comment:
Sue has presented you with a recent experience, Herbert. Both the Pattaya emergencies this week resulted in all passengers getting off without problems. It's really up to you to establish that improvements haven't been made, not the other way around. Believing in the status quo - nothing is changing or will change - is your problem, not ours.
@ Ed
PW reported that the Bungy Jump operator tried to conceal how the victim sustained the lethal injuries.
An operator that was allowed to run their business for 13 years without a permit or insurance, smack in the middle of Patong.
That's just the most recent example/proof of how safety of tourists is not of much concern to local authorities and how the industry tries to protect it's reputation by covering up of concealing the facts.
Even just using PW as a source, one could list countless similar accidents, many lethal.
It's really the job of Thai authorities to convince everyone that the safety of the tourists is their first priority.
I for one am not convinced.
Posted by
Herbert
on
June 2, 2015 13:56
Editor Comment:
No we didn't. That's your interpretation - which is so often your problem. The vast majority of tourists who visit Phuket go home safely. It's as if you like to believe the worst, so a rare incident is magnified in your mind to mean so much more. PW reports unusual incidents because the reports usually generate greater efforts to improve standards. Generally, that's the case. It's an odd person who believes that one mugging makes New York unsafe for everyone.
Agree with both points of view there is good operators but also some very bad ones. Taken quite a few ferries this last year and always found any safety equipment out of date. Problem is there is no standards adhered to.
Sue they would have been flotation devices not.life jackets and doubt they had maximum weight on them for wearer, standard you get here are usually 60 or 70 kilo ok for most Thai and Asian tourists, but not for your average westerner.
Will keep note of that operator though
I have taken many photos of bad safety practises and equipment that I have seen in Asia
Posted by
Michael
on
June 2, 2015 14:22
Michael,
I agree, that most probably those jackets do not satisfy ISO standards for proper life jackets - and those ISO standards even not mandatory in Thailand, as TISI that take charge about them, didn't prmukgate them.
Love Anadanan has great FB page with the same name, you will see it is mostly in Thai.
I went many with this operator, and vs.others this one is indeed much better for the moment than others, and also on account of mostly Thai company around. Price is not really different from other operator, e.g. Tachai is. day trip off Khao Lak is 2400THB + NP fee (500THB for non-citizens)=2900THB
Posted by
Sue
on
June 2, 2015 14:49
"The safety of tourists itself is irrelevant."
That perception is out there Herbert, but remember that foreigners have a big say in the matter - as too many of them come to Thailand and take on more inherent risk than they do in their home country.
Add onto that dangerous roadways and infrastructure, a different view of death in general by Buddhists, as many believe it reincarnation, and some tourists do come home from their Thailand dream vacation in a body bag.
Sure things need to change, but fixing Thailand is best left to the Thais - and tourists need to be proactive about their own safety, as too often they are not.
Posted by
farang888
on
June 2, 2015 22:15
Thanks sue have added them on Facebook even a like can start improve popularity.
Standards for water safety should ideally use only solas.
That ferry above is a bad design for a ferry, ideal as a fishing boat where all the equipment and then catch is located low down, but add another deck and remove all the equipment below it becomes hazardous in rough weather. Ok not the faults that caused these two incidents but a problem that has never been addressed
Posted by
Michael.
on
June 3, 2015 08:02
Editor, your comments to Herbert seem to suggest that you are of the opinion that Thai authorities are open, honest and transparent when dealing with incidents involving tourist safety. I would question whose opinion adds value!
Posted by
paul
on
June 4, 2015 08:43
Editor Comment:
Your interpretation of what you read is entirely your own, paul. We don't make those kinds of silly assumptions.
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Tourism safety is priority number one for Thai authorities.
Unfortunately many assume this means tourist safety when it actually means protecting the tourism INDUSTRY at any cost.
This is most commonly seen in trying to hide and suppress any news deemed damaging to the tourism industry image.
The safety of tourists itself is irrelevant.
Posted by Herbert on June 2, 2015 11:08
Editor Comment:
That's more than a bit unkind, Herbert. You are drawing Doomsayer conclusions when there's no evidence for it. Your opinion adds no value. It's totally negative and scurrilous.