PATTAYA, THAILAND – Twelve Thai fishers, including a child, were rescued alive from rough seas after a two-deck fishing boat sank off the coast near Pattaya.
Boat went down between Koh Larn and Koh Marwichai
The sinking occurred on Friday between Koh Larn and Koh Marwichai, about 15 nautical miles (around 30 kilometers) off Pattaya. The unnamed two-deck fishing vessel went under in heavy seas, leaving those on board clinging to floating debris in open water. Authorities later confirmed that twelve people were involved, correcting earlier reports of thirteen.
All victims were Thai fishers, not tourists
Initial claims that tourists had been on board proved incorrect, as all those rescued were Thai nationals out at sea to fish. Among them was one child, according to officials. The group had reportedly departed from Laem Bali Hai Pier in the morning, heading for fishing grounds near Koh Phai, a popular area for local fishers off Thailand’s eastern coast.
Emergency call and large-scale rescue effort
The distress call reached the Marine Disaster Prevention Radio Center in Pattaya at 4:30 p.m., which coordinated the response with the Marine Enforcement Command Center in Chonburi province. Reports indicated that the fishing boat had sunk while more than ten people were adrift in open sea. Units from the Pattaya Marine Rescue Unit and the Sawang Boriboon Pattaya Foundation were dispatched with speedboats and inflatable boats to the area between the islands.
Services on standby ashore
On land, the tourist police, Pattaya city police and emergency services prepared ambulances to receive the survivors. They stood by to provide immediate medical treatment once the rescued fishers were brought back to shore. Responders later described the survivors as extremely exhausted, suffering from hypothermia and shaking after their prolonged exposure in the water.
Rough conditions and red flags for small boats
Throughout the day of the incident, rough conditions prevailed in Pattaya Bay, with waves of 1 to 2 meters and strong gusts. The responsible marine authority had raised red warning flags and explicitly prohibited small boats from heading out. According to initial investigations, the fishing boat nonetheless left port in the morning despite these warnings.
Bilge pumps failed as seas worsened
Crew members reported that the vessel encountered increasingly heavy seas as the day progressed. They said the bilge pumps failed, causing the boat to take on more and more water until it finally sank. The captain and the eleven other crew members, twelve people in total, abandoned the vessel and were forced to remain in the sea for more than seven hours before rescuers reached them.
All twelve found alive; cause under investigation
By around 5:00 p.m., authorities confirmed that all twelve people had been located and taken aboard the rescue boats. They received initial medical care on the way back to Pattaya and were then transported into the city for further examination. Officials stated that the exact cause of the sinking remained unclear and would be the subject of ongoing investigations into the boat’s technical condition and the sequence of events.
Similar incident near Koh Kood a day earlier
The Pattaya rescue took place shortly after another maritime incident, in which a larger vessel with numerous tourists ran into trouble near Koh Kood the previous day after it also began taking on water. Authorities said everyone on board that vessel was rescued unharmed as well. Further official information and assessment of both incidents off Thailand’s eastern coast were expected once the investigations progressed.