Body of Burmese man swept out to sea found in Koh Samui

Burmese man was swept out by large waves, photo by Thai PBS

UPDATE

The body of the Burmese man who was swept out to sea in Koh Samui on Monday has been found, according to a Thai media outlet.

The outlet, One News 31, said today in an Instagram post that the man’s body was found at a beach in front of a hotel. The post reads…

“The body of the Myanmar man who defied the warning not to sit on a rock cliff at a viewpoint in Koh Samui was found. He was swept away by the waves two days ago. Recently, his body was found on a hotel beach, two kilometres away from where he fell.”


According to witnesses, the man was a migrant worker travelling with two other male friends, and the three appeared to be drunk.

The three men walked to a viewpoint near the sea. This was after authorities had warned people not to go near the sea due to strong winds and large waves.

The witnesses said there was suddenly a cry for help, saying someone had fallen into the sea. The man’s friends reportedly tried to help him, but the waves were too strong.

Shortly after the incident, the two friends left the scene on their motorcycles, with no one knowing why.

This story is still unravelling, and The Thaiger will continue to provide any updates.

ORIGINAL STORY

A recent tragedy in Koh Samui is a reminder of how dangerous large waves can be in Thailand.

Large waves washed away a Burmese man in Koh Samui on Monday. Witnesses said the man was a migrant worker travelling with two other male friends, and the three appeared to be drunk.

The three men walked to a viewpoint near the sea. This was after authorities had warned people not to go near the sea due to strong winds and large waves.

The witnesses said there was suddenly a cry for help, saying someone had fallen into the sea. Thai PBS reported that the man’s friends tried to help him, but the waves were too strong.

Shortly after the incident, the two friends left the scene on their motorcycles, with no one knowing why.

Officials planned to search for the man’s body, although they were unable to search immediately due to the strong waves.

There have been a few tragic incidents of people dying from being swept out to sea by strong waves in Thailand’s seaside areas.

In September last year, two tourists were swept out to sea while kayaking in the eastern Rayong province. One of the men drowned and the other clung to his friend’s body all night in the open sea until he was rescued by a passing fishing boat.

In June last year, a man in Phuket’s Thalang district died after being swept out to sea when he went fishing near a beach. Rescuers found the man’s body between several giant rocks near Banana Beach.

When a huge wave swept the man into the sea, his girlfriend grabbed his hand, but the waves pulled him away and he disappeared into the water. Rescue divers arrived to find the man’s girlfriend crying on the rocks. The rescuers found the man’s body the next morning between several rocks, 300 metres away from where he was last seen.

Koh Samui NewsThailand News

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Tara Abhasakun

A Thai-American dual citizen, Tara has reported news and spoken on a number of human rights and cultural news issues in Thailand. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in history from The College of Wooster. She interned at Southeast Asia Globe, and has written for a number of outlets. Tara reports on a range of Thailand news issues.

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