Every day, boats of dubious safety, piloted by skippers of dubious ability, make the trip from Pattaya to Koh Larn. Accidents are inevitable.
I last reported on one where two people were killed. Firm action was promised; none was taken.
There have been several incidents since then, such as the sinking of a boat transporting nineteen Korean tourists. Fortunately nobody was drowned, and Pattaya People reported:
“Police and city hall officials went to investigate the cause of the accident, saying that if the boat had been checked on a regular basis this would never have happened. As boating accidents happen with alarming frequency in Pattaya Bay, investigators want to insure all rental boats are properly maintained by their owners”;
apparently without recognising that it might actually be their job to ensure that boats were checked on a regular basis.
This week, tragedy struck again when two boats collided. Six Korean tourists were seriously injured; one losing part of his leg and another having both legs partially severed. Predictably, the drivers of both boats ran away.
As with all these cases, a government official was wheeled out to promise immediate, urgent action that will ensure that such a tragedy never happens again (until the next time it happens, when the same promise will be repeated):
“Marine Department officials will enforce zoning for ferry boats, swimmers and water-sports activities in coastal areas of the seaboard town of Pattaya following a speed boat collision here on Sunday. Rewat Poriang, director of the Pattaya Marine Office, said wharfs in Pattaya and nearby Ko Lan will be clearly marked. Commuter boats must now install speed control devices and radios. The two speed boats which collided near Ko Lan off Pattaya on Sunday were not equipped with such equipment”.
Unusually, a local media outlet called Pattaya One actually bothered to follow up on these promises and reported:
“We have determined that absolutely nothing has changed since the accident last Sunday which saw 19 Korean Tourists injured, 6 seriously. On Wednesday afternoon we visited the Bali Hai Port situated at the Southern end of Pattaya Beach which is used by scores of boats that transport tourists to and from Islands around the coast of Pattaya.
We saw no officials monitoring the boats and during our time at the Port no checks were made on any vessels. There was a strong suspicion that some of the boats were overloaded and we managed to speak with two crew members of speed-boats, which continue to operate as before and they confirmed to us that no checks had been made on them or their vessels since the accident on Sunday”.
There’s a surprise.
Comments 🔗
2013-04-25| Chang Noi saysThere is 1 surprise (at least to me) …. How did the boat driver did run away while on sea?
Well there are so many tourists, who is going to be bothered?
2013-04-25| genuinej saysI suppose we can expect Pattaya One to be prosecuted/closed/directors castrated following such outrageous comment.
2013-04-25| Spike saysThey are quite outspoken at times, a refreshing change from the other “news” sites.
2013-04-25| Spike saysIt was a sort of triathlon. First he swam, then he ran, then he jumped on his bike.
2013-04-25| Grant saysOh! What a disappointment. Here were we hoping for a miracle…