PHUKET, Thailand – A luxury yacht worth over 4 million baht was destroyed by fire off the coast of Phuket after returning from dropping off tourists at Naka Island. The fire, believed to have been caused by engine failure, resulted in the complete loss of the vessel, which sank shortly after the incident. Fortunately, the captain and engineer onboard escaped without major injuries.
The incident occurred at approximately 11:00 AM on October 3 between Koh Rad and Koh Naka Yai in the Paklok subdistrict of Thalang, Phuket. The yacht, which was returning after a tourist trip, caught fire and quickly became uncontrollable due to its distance from the shore. The flames completely consumed the vessel, which eventually sank.
Nachapong Pranit, Director of the Phuket Marine Department, confirmed that the yacht, named Flamingo Lady 2, was a 16.68-ton catamaran capable of carrying 32-35 passengers. It was captained by Jaroon Roengsamut, aged 31, with Khranchit Kanriap, aged 23, as the engineer.
According to Captain Jaroon, the yacht departed from Ao Por Pier around 10:00 AM with 22 passengers onboard, bound for Koh Naka Yai. After safely dropping off the passengers, the yacht experienced engine trouble at around 10:35 AM while returning between Koh Naka Yai and Koh Rad. The right engine malfunctioned, and despite attempts to repair it, the engine overheated, causing sparks to ignite the fuel vapor, leading to the fire. Captain Jaroon suffered minor burns to his leg but was promptly taken to Thalang Hospital for treatment.
Authorities plan to interview the captain, engineer, and the yacht’s owner to investigate the cause of the fire. Mr. Panya Sampharat, Mayor of Paklok, mentioned that after receiving the report, emergency medical teams and fire trucks were dispatched to Ao Por Pier to assist. However, firefighting efforts on the water were not possible as the municipality lacks firefighting vessels.
