“Ghost ship” found off Thailand coast, Navy investigates abandoned Chinese vessel

What many are calling a “ghost ship” was found sinking in the Gulf of Thailand off the coast of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The abandoned Chinese cargo ship was spotted by staff working at an offshore oil rig. No one was on board the vessel.

The staff at the Chevron rigs reported the vessel to the 2nd Naval Area Command in the southern province Songkhla. The investigation was then immediately launched by authorities, sending off a drone to find out whether they could tow the ship to land at Pak Nam Tapi in Surat Thani’s Muang district.

But strong winds caused the ship to flood, sinking it off the coast of Sichon district in Nakhon Si Thammarat, where local fishermen were urged to stay away from the sunken area due to the leaking of oil from it. Officials have told locals that the cleaning will be done within three days before it reaches the waters around Surat Thani’s major tourist attractions of Koh Madsum and Koh Mu.

Although the navy attempted to pull the ship out of the sea, it was severely damaged and most of the ship’s nautical equipment, including the anchor, was broken, with the engine room flooded, and the ship’s battery had only enough power to keep the lights on.

The authorities had to pump out about half of the water it had taken on board. A source to the Bangkok Post that they suspect the vessel floated into Thai waters after working in Vietnam or Cambodia.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post