Thai boat captain charged with recklessness leading to capsizing

The captain of a tour boat operating in the waters off Koh Larn island in eastern Thailand has been charged with recklessness in connection with a vessel capsizing incident that occurred late last week.

The 56-year-old suspect was at the helm of the catamaran tour boat Sea Beach as it was ferrying 27 Russian tourists when it tilted to one side some three nautical miles off Koh Larn at around 18:00 local time on Saturday, December 23.

Local police and the crews of some nearby Good Samaritan vessels successfully rescued the 30 passengers and crew, all of whom were found wearing lifejackets and were adrift in the water. Five people were later brought to hospital while a few others suffered less severe injuries.

The captain claimed that the boat capsized after it encountered strong waves and that he was unaware that a red flag had been placed at the nearby Bali Hai pier.

Authorities said the red flag is displayed to prohibit small boats from sailing due to rough sea conditions.

The captain has since been placed into police custody while the boat’s owner has surrendered the vessel’s operating licence. The owner has also agreed to pay for the medical expenses of the injured passengers.