Phuket Marine Office Director Nachaphong Pranit has clarified that officers have now confirmed that the damage to the boat, Jimmy Blue, was estimated to be about B10 million.
The boat, a 12-metre catamaran, had been berthed at the marina for “a long time”, Mr Nachaphong said.
The boat caught fire and partially sank at its berth on Saturday afternoon (Apr 23)
No people were on the boat when the fire broke out.
Mr Nachapong said officers, after questioning witnesses, believed that the fire started by a short circuit.
“The cause appeared to be a short circuit from a 220-volt power supply that was connected to the boat and the switch was still on,” he said.
“The condition of the boat indicates that it has not been used for a long time. The boat was registered in 2014 and was recorded as worth about B16mn at the time. It was used for tours for about seven years. It is estimated that the damage should be no more than B10mn,” he added.
The boat was moved away from its berth at the marina for safety. The boat will be salvaged and taken to the Premier Boat Yard in Mai Khao, Mr Nachaphong said.
Officers are continuing their investigation, Mr Nachaphong added.
“We have confirmed with the marina manager that the person responsible was at the scene within an appropriate time. The person attempted to extinguish the fire, but was unable to, despite using fire extinguishers from the boat and provided by the marina,” he said.
“However, the yacht and marina managers will be invited to answer more questions about the fire. This is to fully understand what happened so we can aim to prevent any similar incidents in the future,” Mr Nachaphong said.