Tourists rescued after longtail capsizes

PHUKET: Five tourists and their tour guide had an alarming return to shore in Phang Nga after visiting James Bond Island and Koh Panyee yesterday (May 22) when the longtail boat they were travelling in was hit by strong wind and capsized.

After being informed of the incident at about 2pm, officers led by Takua Thung Police Chief Col Siriwat Inyim rushed to nearby Samchong Nuea Pier, where they were told all six plus the boat driver, Phang Nga local resident Abdullah Chonlakij, 54, had been brought ashore and were waiting at Surakul Pier, in Moo 1, Tambon Krasom.

The tourists were named as Thijs Wouter de Vogt from the Netherlands; Cornelis Adriannus Antonius van Rijsbergen, 24, from the Netherlands; Andrea Katharina Bernet, 27, from Switzerland; and Christian Humang-IT Buctot, 23, and Cheri Pia Plando, 22, from Australia.

With them on the boat was tour guide Orasa Sae-Ngow, 56, from Phuket, who works with the tour company TripGuru.

Ms Orasa explained they had board the ‘Busaya Tour’ boat at Ban Samchong Pier at 10am, heading out to visit James Bond Island and Koh Panyee.

They left Koh Panyee to head home at about 1pm, but the boat started to sink as they entered the Krasom Canal.

“The wind was very strong. The boat tipped, pushing all the passengers to the same side, making the boat tip further and allowing water to flood into the boat,” boat driver Mr Abdullah explained.

Fortunately, a local boat passing by rescued them all. No one was injured in the incident, he added.

However, some valuables were damaged, including two iPhone 14 Pro phones, two AirPods, two power banks, two passports and B 4,000 cash belonging to Mr de Vogt and Mr van Rijsbergen.

Also damaged were an iPhone 14 Pro Max, an iPhone 12 Pro Max, a power bank and B9,800 cash belonging to Mr Buctot and Ms Plando.

Ms Orasa’s Samsung A9 Pro also fell into the water with her.

Travel insurance by TripGuru will cover all damages, police confirmed.

Capricornball, perhaps the weather conditions were made up just to cover up something wrong with the boat.. Thai fantasy, we call it lying, is unlimited to safe thai face. But they believe in it. Still not used to international social media. Look forward to read what the tourists will say.

From the looks of the pictures, I'm having a hard time understanding how such a narrow strip of water surrounded by towering geography could encounter wind strong enough to overturn a longtail. I'd like to hear what the passengers had to say, but that ain't gonna happen.

With climate change, extreme weather conditions appear, sometimes even very sudden. Happening shows that long tail boat safety has to be reviewed for sake of foreign tourist safety, and Thai tourist safety image in general., due to extreme weather patterns. In this case it was fortunate/luck a local boat passed by. Officialdom has to step in.

Old guy; For visa extention passports are needed. The people of crashed speedboat have them. People of longtailboat lost them. Immigration can give a 'time exemption' until embassies have provided a emergengy passport for return home country. But who brings his passport in a longtailboat trip? Just go around with copy main page/visa is enough. ( as explaned many years ago by a general)

Bet the reporter had troubles getting their names correct. Some real doozies there! Three paragraphs about 'damaged' dumbphones and other electronics? PN: Trying to stretch the article to make it long enough to be interesting reading?

@Phuket News. But, you reported that immigration was extending visas, if necessary, for those with timing problems on that speedboat crash. Visa problems due to accident in both cases. Why aren't they handled the same?

Will Phuket Immigration extend the visas until new passports can be obtained? PHUKET NEWS can you please check with immigration and let us know? [visa extensions cannot be issued beyond the life of the passport presented - Ed]

Amazing Thailand, where every adventure you take could cost you your life...usually at the hands of some poorly trained/untrained goofball that should not be doing what he's doing (read public transport drivers and boat so-called "captains" (which they usually aren't. This all happens because officials are far more concerned with keeping the baht flowing than tourist safety.

Tourists rescued after longtail capsizes

Tourists rescued after longtail capsizes

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