PATTAYA – The Royal Thai Navy, Marine Department, and Pattaya medical and rescue services joined forces to practice their response to a potential fire aboard the Pattaya-Hua Hin ferry.
The Marine Safety Control Center, Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation medics and Pattaya Hospital also took part in the March 13 exercise in Pattaya Bay.
The drill simulated how authorities would handle a fire on the Royal Passenger Liner 3 vessel carrying 65 people. The exercise assumed the catamaran would sink, injuring 15 people, five of them seriously.
The ferry sounded its alarm to start the drill and notified authorities by radio. Pattaya sent two boats with medical teams from Koh Larn to take the injured to the first and third docks at Bali Hai Pier.
Marine Department Director Eakaraj Kantaro said such drills are necessary as about 10,000 people a day travel on various boats, large and small, to and from Pattaya.
The ferry, a high-profile attraction for Pattaya, gets particular attention. A similar large-scale drill was last held last June.
