Dozens injured in tour boat mishap in Phuket, Thailand

Thai news outlets report that 37 people suffered varying degrees of injury after a tour boat struck a channel marker off Phuket, Thailand, on Wednesday, May 17.

The incident occurred when the tour boat Thanathip Marine 555 hit a concrete marker in Chalong Bay some 100 metres off the coast at around 17:30 local time on Wednesday.

The vessel was approaching Phuket after having earlier departed the nearby Phi Phi Islands.

Those who suffered injuries include the boat’s four Thai crewmembers and 33 foreign tourists from Russia, Ukraine, China, Hong Kong, and Kazakhstan. All have since been brought to various hospitals.

Two crewmembers and four Russian tourists are reported to still be in critical but stable condition.

Local authorities have begun deliberating whether to implement stricter blood alcohol screening for boat operators following reports that the helmsman had fallen asleep just prior to the crash.

Click here to read other news stories, features, opinion articles, and vessel reviews as part of this month’s Passenger Vessel Week.