SURAT THANI, Thailand – A passenger longtail boat capsized off Haad Rin Nok Bay in Koh Phangan, Surat Thani province. Authorities rescued 12 people, while 1 remains missing.
At 3:20 AM on December 29, the Koh Phangan Police Radio Center received a report of a passenger longtail boat capsizing in Haad Rin Nok Bay, Ban Tai Subdistrict. The boat carried 13 individuals. Rescue teams were dispatched to the scene, where the longtail boat was found floating in the bay.
Initial reports confirm 12 survivors, including 10 passengers and 2 crew members. The passengers include one Turkish, one Dutch, two Japanese, one German, and four Thai nationals. The two Thai crew members were also rescued. However, one passenger, identified as Mr. Hyunjin, a South Korean national, remains missing.
Police Colonel Panya Nirattimanon, Chief of Koh Phangan Police Station, stated that the passengers were friends traveling together and had hired the longtail boat to take them to Haad Yuan. Approximately 50 meters from shore, the boat encountered a series of large waves. While it managed to pass the first three waves, it lost balance and capsized after the fourth wave. None of the passengers were wearing life jackets. All survivors managed to stay afloat and swim ashore, but Mr. Hyunjin remains unaccounted for.
It was reported that Mr. Hyunjin was planning to open a Japanese restaurant with his Japanese partner, Miyuki, at a building near the Phangan Night Market.
A drug test conducted on Mr. Patthanapong, the boat operator, revealed traces of methamphetamine in his system. He has been charged with drug use. Additionally, the boat was found to have an expired registration.
Further investigation revealed that while Mr. Patthanapong’s license as a seafarer for coastal navigation remains valid, his advanced engine operator certification had expired. Legal action has been taken accordingly. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
