South Korean tourist missing after long-tailed boat capsized in bad weather off Koh Phangan island

A South Korean tourist is missing after a long-tailed boat capsized in bad weather off Koh Phangan early on Sunday morning.

The accident happened shortly after 3am when long-tailed boat No.38 was carrying 10 tourists and three sailors from Haad Rin Nok, also known as Sunrise beach, to Haad Tien East on the eastern side of Koh Phangan.    

The 10 passengers were two Turkish nationals, four Thais, two Japanese, a German and a South Korean man, identified only as Hyun-jin, who is reported missing.  

Pairat Kaewsrijan, the captain of the long-tailed boat, told Koh Phangan police that strong waves caused the boat to capsize about 400 metres off Haad Rin Nok beach. Local emergency rescuers and tourism operators sent boats to the scene and were able to rescue 12 tourists and sailors. 

Heavy winds and strong currents were hampering the search for the missing Korean, Mr Pairat said.   

Phangan police said strong waves with heights of 2–3 metres hit the front starboard (right) side of the boat, prompting all passengers to gather on the port (left) side and causing the boat to tilt to the side. The boat was hit by another big wave and started to take on water from the port side and sank.  It was later pushed ashore by the waves at dawn.

Wijak Chooparakit, director of the Regional Marine Office’s Koh Phangan Branch, said the boat’s owner had ignored the agency’s safety warning that all vessels of less than 12 metres in length were advised to stay ashore between Dec 24 and 29. Vessels of more than 12 metres in length should exercise extra caution while navigating the seas off Surat Thani, the warning added. 

The boat that capsized was illegally used to service tourists because its registration certificate had been revoked, Mr Wijak said.

Read the full story at Bangkok Post – 1 missing after boat capsizes off Thailand’s Koh Phangan which was brought to us by Google Alerts.

Photo credit @ Bangkok Post | A long-tailed boat that capsized in rough seas off Haad Rin beach, the venue of the Full Moon Party, on Koh Phangan early on Sunday. Twelve people have been rescued while a South Korean man is missing after the accident. (Photo: Koh Phangan Rescue Centre)