Khao Sok National Park to sue travel agency after fatal cave death

Khao Sok National Park in the southern province of Surat Thani plans to sue a travel agency after two Thai tour guides violated safety rules and took 22 foreign tourists to Nam Talu Cave during its closure, resulting in the death of one guide in the flash flood on Tuesday, August 6.

National park rangers and rescuers saved the other Thai tour guide and the 22 foreigners from a flash flood at the popular tourist destination on Tuesday. The deceased guide, 37 year old Pongyot, was found in the cave early on August 7.

Nam Talu Cave and nearby attractions are closed between June and November due to the risk of heavy rain and flash floods. The two tour guides violated safety rules by taking a large group of tourists into danger.

Auttapon Charoenchansa, Director of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, told Channel 7 that the department would take legal action against the travel agency the guides worked for.

Auttapon mentioned a past incident where seven people were killed in a flash flood at the same location, highlighting the reason for the seasonal closure.

While Auttapon did not specify the legal charges or expected punishment, he warned other agencies against violating the rules, emphasising that doing so would result in severe consequences.

In a related story, Channel 7 reported that Pongyot had recently married in February, and his wife is currently three months pregnant.

Pongyot’s younger brother, Adisak, expressed sadness that his brother would never meet his child. However, he also found that Pongyot was no longer burdened by work, and this was a time for him to rest.

Adisak revealed that his brother was the sole provider for their family. He could not work because he had to care for their bedridden mother at home. He added that he would not inform their mother of Pongyot’s death, fearing it would worsen her condition.

ORIGINAL STORY: Nam Talu Cave flash flood: Thai guide dead, 22 foreigners saved

Khao Sok National Park rangers and rescuers saved a Thai tour guide and 22 foreign tourists from a flash flood while they were exploring Nam Talu Cave in the southern province of Surat Thani. Another Thai tour guide was initially reported missing but was later found dead in the cave.

National park rangers were alerted to the flash flood on the evening of yesterday, August 6, by a Thai tour guide. The guide believed the flash flood occurred due to heavy rain over the previous two days.

The guide explained that rainwater surged down from the mountain forest and into the cave while he and another guide were leading the foreign tourists out. He and all the tourists managed to escape the flood but one guide was swept away.

The ranger and rescue team rushed to the scene and took the tour guide and 22 foreigners to a nearby floating accommodation to rest.

Two tourists, a 23 year old Dutch-English woman and a 19 year old Dutch woman, were injured in the incident. One had a knee wound, while the other had a sprained ankle. They were taken to Ban Ta Khun Hospital by boat. The rest of the tourists stayed overnight at the accommodation.

Officers then launched a search for the missing tour guide, later identified as 37 year old Pongyot. They located him in the cave at approximately 3.20am today, August 7, but he had tragically drowned. It took officers over two hours to transport Pongyot’s body to Ban Takhun Hospital for an autopsy.

Matichon reported a similar incident on October 13, 2007, when seven Thai and foreign tourists died in a comparable flash flood.

Due to the past tragedy, the national park closes the Nam Talu Cave during the rainy season, between June and November. Tour guides and tourists are advised to plan their trips carefully and check weather conditions before entering the cave, even outside the rainy season.

There is no report explaining how or why the Thai tour guides and tourists entered the cave despite the national park’s annual closure during the rainy season.