Speedboat crashes in Phuket, 37 injured

A speedboat crashed into a channel marker in Chalong Bay in Phuket, southern Thailand, yesterday injuring four Thais and 33 foreign tourists, mostly Russians.

The driver is thought to have fallen asleep as he crashed into the huge concrete pillar in the sea about 100 metres away from the shore of Chalong Bay at 5.30pm. The boat, the Thanathip Marine 555, had travelled to Phuket from the Phi Phi islands.

Four Thais, 21 Russians, nine Kazakstanis, one Chinese, one Ukrainian, and one Hong Kong national were injured.

Patients were divided in order of the seriousness of their injuries: two “white,” 13 “green,” 16 “yellow,” and 6 “red,” reports KhaoSod.

Ten patients are receiving treatment at Phuket Vachira Hospital, nine at Chalong Hospital, two at Siriroj Hospital, five at Bangkok Hospital, five at Mission Hospital, two at Dibuk Hospital, and two at Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation Hospital. The boat is insured to cover medical expenses of up to 15,000 baht for each case.

The Phuket Provincial Tourism and Sports Office, Tourist Police, and Department of Tourism sent officials and interpreters to facilitate the needs of victims, coordinate help and contact relevant consulates and embassies where required.

Phuket Provincial Police are investigating the cause of the crash and say they have already measured the boat driver’s alcohol levels, who also sustained broken limbs in the crash, although the results were not yet reported.

Police didn’t say what speed the boat was thought to be going when it slammed into the huge concrete pillar. It sustained heavy damage.

Last month, an explosion occurred on a tourist speedboat docked at a pier in Phang Nga Bay in southern Thailand. The explosion iniured two people, one of whom died at the hospital.

In February, nine Swedish tourists and a Thai boat driver were rescued when their longtail boat capsized near Hong Island in Krabi province.