PATTAYA – Nine women passengers sustained injuries late Monday night after a tourist speedboat crashed into a two-deck wooden fishing vessel near Laem Bali Hai Pier in South Pattaya. The vessel carried 27 passengers and began taking on seawater rapidly after the violent collision ripped open its left hull.
Rescue workers from the Sawang Boriboon Foundation and marine police rushed to the scene around 11:00 p.m. to pull frightened travelers from the water. Local emergency responders transferred all injured passengers to nearby medical centers after administering initial first aid on the dock.
Key Takeaways
- A tourist speedboat carrying 27 passengers sank after striking a two-deck fishing vessel near Pattaya’s Bali Hai Pier.
- Emergency crews transported nine injured women—six Thais, two Russians, and one Ukrainian—to regional hospitals with abrasions and shock.
- Marine police launched an official investigation into vessel navigation and night operations while withholding formal charges pending witness interviews.
Hospital officials reported that the injured group comprised six Thai women, two Russian women, and one Ukrainian woman. According to initial reports, most victims suffered painful abrasions, bruises, and acute emotional trauma rather than critical wounds.
Doctors at local hospitals treated seven of the patients immediately and cleared them for discharge by Tuesday afternoon. One passenger remains under professional observation for further monitoring, although physicians confirmed that none of the injuries presented a threat to life.
Dozens of fellow travelers scrambled to the upper deck or grabbed life vests before local patrol crafts hauled them aboard. First responders commended the nearby commercial boatmen who quickly circled the sinking vessel to pull tourists out of the dark water.
Police Scrutinize Dark Navigation and Speed
Pattaya City Police began examining physical wreckage alongside witness testimonies on Tuesday morning to reconstruct the crash sequence. The speedboat was ferrying patrons back from a floating dinner restaurant when the incident occurred.
The fishing boat skipper stated that his vessel displayed proper running lights while cruising through the harbor channel. Conversely, the speedboat pilot claimed during preliminary police questioning that he simply failed to spot the two-deck vessel across the open water.
Officers plan to cross-reference helm logbooks, alcohol test results, and harbor surveillance cameras before determining legal responsibility. Authorities emphasized that investigators will avoid assigning criminal fault until technical examiners finish assessing vessel mechanics and navigation instruments.
Harbour Safety Questions Resurface in Pattaya
The collision renews longstanding debates regarding high-speed water taxi corridors inside South Pattaya’s congested night shipping lanes, and concern over crowded pier approaches where tourist shuttles and fishing charters share narrow channels.
Maritime authorities raised red warning flags at Bali Hai Pier following the incident, temporarily restricting departures for smaller recreational crafts. Port regulators ordered mandatory inspections for night lighting rigs and reinforced safety jacket rules across all commercial ferry fleets.
Tourism leaders expect harbor inspectors to increase nighttime radar patrols around busy docking points in coming weeks. City officials promise that rigorous safety oversight will protect visiting travelers as Pattaya heads into its peak holiday season.
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