BANGKOK
The search for two missing South Korean tourists off Thailand’s west coast has failed to turn up any sign of them as passengers told local media Monday they were not wearing life jackets.
The Korean pair, reported to be a man and a woman, were among a group of tourists being ferried from the island of Koh Phi Phi to Phuket, western Thailand’s biggest resort, when the speed boat they were travelling in collided with a fishing vessel Sunday afternoon.
Thai tourist Nittaya Pimpa, 30, told the Phuketwan news website: “The crash came with a huge shock. Everybody was crying out in the water. Nobody had a life vest.”
The speed boat captain is being held by police. Life jackets are compulsory on tourist boats in Thailand.
The boat was carrying 34 passengers – 28 Chinese, four South Koreans and two Britons – as well as three crew. Some passengers suffered severe injuries, including one with head injuries, Phuketwan reported.
The cause of the crash is unknown although the captain is said to have told police he bent to pick up a plastic bag immediately prior to the collision, which sunk the speed boat.
A search by the Royal Thai Navy and Marine Police is ongoing.
The incident is a further blow to Thailand’s image as a holiday paradise. The military coup earlier this year tarnished the country’s reputation while the murders of Britons Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on Koh Tao in September renewed concerns for the safety of tourists in the Kingdom.
The subsequent police investigation, in which two migrant workers from Myanmar were arrested and charged amid allegations of a bungled forensics examination and coerced confessions, has done little to improve the country’s image.
After talks with the Thai authorities, British and Myanmar police officers were sent last week to “observe” the investigation.
In an editorial, Phuketwan called on the government to launch an independent investigation of the collision, review boat and motorcycle safety standards and implement the necessary measures to “restore Thailand's reputation for hospitality and safety.”
www.aa.com.tr/en
