Abandoned freighter intercepted in Gulf of Thailand

The Royal Thai Navy has deployed vessels in response to a drifting cargo ship that was first sighted in the Gulf of Thailand late last week.

The navy first learned of the ship at around 16:00 local time on Thursday, January 6, after workers on an oil rig in the southern part of the gulf reported that they saw it drifting nearby.

A patrol boat was despatched to the area to investigate. Upon their arrival, the navy crews saw a rusting vessel with a noticeable list to starboard.

The vessel’s markings identified it as Fin Shui Yuen 2.

Navy personnel boarded the vessel to investigate further and discovered that it was unmanned and had sustained damage and flooding all throughout.

The navy then initiated a lengthy salvage operation that involved pumping seawater out of the hold and the engine room and then towing the freighter to shore. However, the effort proved unsuccessful, as the ship sank while under tow on Saturday, January 8.

Fin Shui Yuen 2 currently lies at a depth of 27 metres some 30 nautical miles off Thailand’s southern coast. A patrol boat is monitoring the area for any oil spills.