Thai Navy helps bring crew of gas tanker back to shore after more than a year at sea

The Thai Navy helped five crew members on a gas tanker get to shore after one complained that they had been on board the vessel for 13 months without leave. The Schumi 7 liquefied petroleum gas tanker, en route for Bangladesh, was redirected to a boat pier at Ao Makham Bay in Phuket.

Noppadol Boonmee, a crewman on the vessel, had a 9-month contract with the company but hadn’t once been allowed ashore for over 13 months. Noppadol contacted the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre Area 3 for help on Monday, who notified the 3rd Naval Area who decided to step in to help him and his crew members.

The Schumi 7, weighing in at 4,961 tonnes, was tracked down and found to be located in the Thap Lamu deep channel off the coast of Phang Nga province. The 3rd Naval Area sent HMTS Laem Sing and patrol boat Tor 229 to the spot to locate the vessel and redirect it to the shore.

Of the 18 crew members on board, five of them wanted to leave the vessel. All crew members tested negative for Covid-19 on an ATK test.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post