Tugboat hits riverside homes in Nonthaburi, causes 10m baht damage
A tugboat carrying more than 5,000 tonnes of gypsum boards crashed into three riverside homes along the Chao Phraya River in Nonthaburi yesterday, November 18, causing over 10 million baht in damage.
The incident occurred at around 1am in the Koh Kret area of Pak Kret district. No injuries were reported.
Pak Kret Police arrived at the scene around 5am and found that houses numbered 27, 27/1, and 27/2 had sustained significant structural damage. A nearby power pole had also fallen, resulting in a power outage across the sub-district.
The most damaged property was house number 27/1, owned by 66 year old Phairat Rodjiam. The impact caused the house to collapse into the river. Phairat told Channel 7 he had recently invested over 2 million baht in renovations, and estimated that his total losses exceeded 10 million baht.
The tugboat was operated by 30 year old Sakorn Makawan. He said he was transporting gypsum from Bang Pa-in district in Ayutthaya to Bangkok. Sakorn explained that the boat’s steering system malfunctioned as he approached the area, and strong river currents caused the vessel to strike the homes.
Sakorn said he had not consumed alcohol or fallen asleep at the time of the incident. He stated he was willing to compensate the affected families and intended to speak with each of them directly.
Phairat said he appreciated Sakorn’s response but expressed concern over whether he or the tugboat company would be able to provide full compensation for the losses.
Police have charged Sakorn under Section 420 of the Civil and Commercial Code for reckless behaviour leading to property damage. Compensation discussions are ongoing.
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