PHUKET: Dangerous driving by a speedboat driver returning from Phi Phi Island amid large waves with tourists on board, who were not wearing life jackets, has been explained away at a press conference organised by the Phuket Marine Office.
The Phuket Marine Office launched an investigation into the dangerous driving only after a video clip was posted online showing a tour speedboat plainly identified as the ‘Natthicha 555’ ploughing through large waves at speed on Aug 1.
The ‘Natthicha 555’ changed direction erratically behind a another tour speedboat, the ‘TSK 6’, from which it could be openly seen that tourists on the ‘Natthicha 555’ were not wearing life jackets, in flagrant disregard of a water safety notice issued by Phuket Marine Chief Natchaphong Pranit in response to heavy sea conditions that Phuket was experiencing at the time.
Subsequent reports by officials repeatedly noted that both speedboats were under investigation, despite no claims whatsoever being presented that the operator of the TSK 6 speedboat had done anything wrong.
The Phuket Marine Office confirmed that the two speedboats were returning to Phuket from Phi Phi Island at about 2:30pm on Aug 1 amid waves reaching up to three metres tall, said a report by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket).
The ‘Natthicha 555’ was returning to Vanich Pier in Ratsada with 11 people on board, eight of whom were passengers. The ‘Natthicha 555’ was legally registered and the two operators on board, driver 25-year-old Jiratheep Pramongkit and mechanic 32-year-old Pichet Pramongkit, both have valid permits to operate the boat, said the report.
The ‘TSK 6’ was returning to AA Pier at Laem Nga, on Koh Siray, Ratsada, east of Phuket Town. The ‘TSK 6’ had 42 tourists on board, as well as two guides and three crew members. The boat driver, 31-year-old Rewut Phutthawong, had a valid boat operating licence, and the onboard mechanic, Khwanchai Pramongkit, 48, also held the correct valid certificate, the report added.
Marine officials had inspected the boats and found them both to be seaworthy. All safety equipment required was on board and in functioning order, the report said.
The boat operators were under investigation of Section 291 of the Navigation in Thai Waters Act, said the report.
Under Section 291, the Marine Office has the authority to suspend boat-related licences for up to years if “any pilot, master, navigator, boatswain, helmsman, steersman, chief engineer or engineer of a vessel who has obtained the certificate or license but becomes incompetent or behaves inappropriately for the capacity, failing to comply with the law or regulations concerning navigation or his or her capacities”.
However, a press conference was held at the Phuket Marine Office on Aug 3, where marine officials disclosed no action against the ‘Natthicha 555’ boast driver 25-year-old Jiratheep Pramongkit for the dangerous operation of the boat in dangerous sea conditions. No action was reported to be taken against the company that operates the boat.
Instead, according to an official report of the press conference, “all parties insisted on operating in accordance with the highest safety supervision guidelines”.
Present for the press conference were Phuket District Chief Phairot Srilamul, Adul Raluekmoon of the Phuket Marine Office and Phuket City Police Chief Col Pratuang Pholmana.
At the press conference, Mr Jiratheep said that conditions were safe when the ‘Natthicha 555’ departed Phi Phi Island at 3pm. But when he reached open water he encountered storm conditions, which he said “forced him” to drive close to the bigger boat near him, the TSK 6, in order to take shelter from large waves.
According to the official report of the press conference, instead of commenting on what action the Phuket Marine Office was to take over the incident, Mr Adul recited statistics of Phuket marine traffic, noting “there are approximately 3,500-4,000 vessels that must be supervised, of which approximately 1,500 are domestic passenger ships. In addition, they are fishing vessels and there are a total of 23 piers operating”.
“They are all following strict safety measures,” Mr Adul said.
Mr Adul added, “When such an event occurs again, we will require strictness by requesting in-depth cooperation with all travel agencies that must carry out strict security checks, especially in caring for tourists and must ask tourists to wear life jackets 100% seriously, in order to increase the intensity of the existing measures, which is regarded as taking care of safety as a top priority.”
