Four Swedish 19-year-olds were involved in a boating accident off the east coast of Thailand on Friday. The ferry they were on sank, forcing them to swim to rescue boats in four-meter high waves. Fortunately, all 76 passengers and crew were saved.
This was not the only boating accident in Thailand over the weekend. On Sunday morning, a fast motorboat travelling from Koh Lipe to Koh Lanta sank near Koh Sawang due to strong winds causing the boat to hit waves and take on water. The captain managed to keep the boat steady near Koh Lek, where 73 tourists and four crewmen were rescued.
Following these incidents, reports of several other boat accidents have emerged in Thailand in recent days. This includes a capsized boat in the Pattaya Sea on Saturday evening, from which 26 tourists and 3 Thais were rescued, with six of them requiring hospitalization.
Additionally, a British tourist and a Thai individual are missing after a diving boat sank off the coast of Phang Nga just north of Phuket. The 16 other people on board were rescued by a fishing boat.
These accidents have once again raised concerns about the safety of popular tourist destinations in Thailand. The timing of these incidents, coinciding with a surge in tourist activity during November and December, has highlighted the dangerous conditions at sea during these months.
The incidents highlight the dangers that tourists may face when travelling by boat in Thailand, calling for greater attention to be paid to safety measures for those traveling to the popular holiday destination.