On Saturday afternoon, Thai authorities managed to recover the wreck of the tourist boat ‘Phoenix’, which sank in July claiming lives of over 40 people onboard. The sunken vessel had been lying in 45 metres of water, about 4 km off Ko Hae, near Phuket, since 5 July, when it capsized in heavy weather. Previous attempts to refloat the sunken boat had been unsuccessful.
The boat was on a tourist excursion from Phuket to Koh Racha, with 101 people onboard, comprising 89 passengers, one tour guide, and 11 crew members. It has been reported that the boat departed despite severe weather warnings.
When the boat was returning to Phuket, large waves overturned the boat, trapping some of the passengers in the hull, while others made it to lifeboats. 44 people were confirmed dead as a result, while three remain unaccounted for.
Two other vessels confronted the same weather and capsized the same day, including the passenger vessel ‘Serenita’, but all passengers were rescued.
Following the tragic event, the vessel’s master has been charged with negligence leading to damage and loss of life, while Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha apologized to the government of China and traveled to meet personally with survivors in Phuket, as the majority of victims were Chinese tourists.
