Thailand News Today I Devastating Navy ship sinks in the Gulf of Thailand, 73 rescued, 33 missing

The Royal Thai Navy‘s HTMS Sukhothai sank in the Gulf of Thailand last night, around 20 miles from the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province, with 106 navy personnel on board.

Navy vessels, tug boats, and oil tankers rescued 73 crew members from the water, three of whom are in critical condition, and are still searching for 33 missing Marines.
The HTMS Sukhothai departed from Sattahip Naval Base in Chon Buri province to perform navy missions in the Gulf of Thailand yesterday afternoon.

After crossing the gulf, the vessel met strong winds and tall waves and began tilting, which prompted water to flow into the boat’s electrical system causing a power outage. Making the crew unable to control the ship nor could they communicate using the radio communication room after it was submerged in seawater.

Multiple rescue ships were able to rescue 73 people from the water however, the search continues for 33 missing navy personnel.

Yesterday, several ferries and boats were cancelled amid rough conditions in the Gulf of Thailand.

Immigration police arrested a woman from Uganda yesterday morning in Pathum Thani province for overstaying her visa by 90 days. She is banned from entering Thailand for the next five years.

At 9 am yesterday, Superintendent of Pathum Thani Immigration reported the arrest of a foreign visa overstayer.

The 40 year old Ugandan came to Thailand to work as a language teacher but continued working in the kingdom despite her visa expiring, said police.

Police said she has been placed on a blacklist and she is barred from entering Thailand for the next five years, following orders set by the Minister of Interior.

Phuket Immigration recorded 138 violations in Phuket province alone during the first two weeks of December. Six foreigners in the province were arrested for overstaying their visas and 117 were fined for not registering their accommodation according to the law. Long-time Chinese overstayer goes viral asking for petrol money in Phuket

And still on the topic of overstaying one’s visa, A long-time Chinese overstayer has gone viral on social media for footage of her asking for petrol money from people at a Phuket petrol station. The woman, 47 year old Fan Yang, had been overstaying her visa for a whopping 1,316 days.

The footage circling on TikTok shows some of Fan’s interactions with people at the station on Bypass Road in Rassada.

After the footage circled through social media, the commander of Phuket Provincial Police ordered officers to take action. Police then tracked Fan down at The Trees Club Resort Phuket in Moo 5, Kamala.

Fan admitted to police that she was the person from the videos. She also said she asked people for their bank accounts, claiming she intended to pay them back later. Fan said that some people wanted their money back but others did not.
Officers checked Fan’s passport and confirmed that she had overstayed by 1,316 days. The officers then brought Fan to Kamala Police Station, where she was charged with overstaying.

And ending on some good news, in particular those of you who own cars.
Thailand is trying a new angle to increase road safety during the upcoming busy New Year’s holiday by offering free comprehensive tune-ups for all vehicles.

By partnering with public and private businesses, the Land Transport Department is launching a “Free Vehicle Check for Safe Driving” campaign. Major automakers and distributors will take part in the campaign. The Thai Automotive Industry Association, Thai Motorcycle Enterprise Association, and the Thai European Business Association will all participate as well.

The thorough tune-up includes safety checks on all the major parts of a car or motorbike. Mechanics will check the engine, tyres, brake system, lights, radiator, air filter, and oil levels to make sure that every vehicle is in good shape to be safely operated before people take to the roads over the upcoming holiday.

On top of the free tune-up, the vendors that are partnered with the government have agreed to give substantial discounts for any parts that need to be replaced.

The campaign is running nationwide from now until December 31 on New Year’s Eve. Anyone wishing to take advantage of the free check-up can look for any mechanic or car garage with a sign displaying the “Free Vehicle Check for Safe Driving” campaign.