The blaze broke out at about 5:25pm near Wisit Panwa Pier in Wichit, causing alarm among local residents and tourists in the area.
Officials from the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO), led by President Rewat Areerob, dispatched the fireboat Pearl Andaman 5 to the scene in an effort to contain the flames and prevent the fire from spreading to nearby vessels.
According to initial reports, the speedboat was anchored about 200 metres to one kilometre offshore from Wisit Panwa Pier when the fire erupted.
Firefighters took about 20 minutes to bring the blaze under control, but the vessel was almost completely destroyed. Only the fibreglass hull remained floating before the boat eventually sank at the scene, police confirmed.
No injuries or fatalities were reported.
Wichit Police Superintendent Pol Col Somsak Thongkliang said police were notified of the incident at about 5:55pm after reports that the Love Andaman speedboat ‘Juliet’ had caught fire while anchored offshore.
The boat’s captain, Itthipat Klomkew, told police he had departed Wisit Panwa Pier at 5am carrying 18 Russian tourists to Phi Phi Island before returning to Phuket at about 2:20pm.
After dropping off the passengers, the vessel refuelled at Asia Marina at Koh Siray before returning to Ao Makham at about 3:55pm.
Mr Itthipat told investigators he shut down all electrical systems and inspected the vessel for about 20 minutes before leaving the boat anchored offshore and returning to land by smaller boat at about 4:15pm.
About an hour later, flames were seen engulfing the speedboat.
The PPAO’s Pearl Center disaster response unit said the emergency operation focused on preventing the fire from spreading to other boats and minimising environmental impact in the bay.
Officials from the Royal Thai Navy Region 3, the Marine Department and forensic investigators joined Wichit Police in examining the incident.
Love Andaman later issued a statement confirming the vessel belonged to the company and stressing that no passengers or crew were aboard when the fire broke out.
The company also noted that the speedboat had been moored separately from other vessels, preventing the blaze from spreading further.
“The situation has returned to normal,” the company said while thanking rescue teams and PPAO officers for their rapid response.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by forensic officers and marine authorities.