Ferry gets stuck on sand bar near South Thailand island
More than 100 ferry passengers in South Thailand were caught in a sticky situation on Wednesday- literally. A ferry got stuck on a sand bar in Koh Phang Ngan island in Surat Thani province. The ferry was heading to Don Sak district, when it got stuck on the sand bar 10 minutes after departing from Koh Phang Ngan, according to the Koh Phang Ngan district chief Wijarn Juntawitjit.
Wijarn said the ferry had been carrying 114 passengers, and 35 cars. He said officials from the Marine Department Koh Phangan Office were called to the scene. While it was not specified exactly how long the ferry was stuck, Wijarn told The Phuket Express that the captain managed to move out of the sand bar at 10am. The ferry then arrived at its destination.
Wijarn noted that on Monday, just two days before the incident, another ferry was reportedly stuck for five hours near the same pier. He said…
“Both incidents saw many passengers disappointed with their services, with some asking for refunds or compensation for their lost time.”
It was not clear if passengers would be compensated, or if the ferry company had issued a formal apology.
All boat routes in Surat Thani were cancelled on Monday afternoon due to storms. The ban was from Monday 2pm until 5am on Tuesday. After the ban ended and ferry routes resumed, ferry travel was expected to be hectic due to the 5 day holiday.
SOURCE: The Phuket Express
