Thai ferry captain 'high on drugs'

Thai emergency services attend to victims of Sunday evening's ferry accident near the resort city of Pattaya. EPA/Stringer

Police chief of the Chonburi region Major General Katcha Tatusatra told reporters that the 42-year-old captain turned himself in several hours after Sunday evening's disaster near the resort city of Pattaya.

As related by the Bangkok Post, the captain “allegedly confessed the ferry wandered off course, and hit the rocks.”

Realising that water was pouring into the vessel, he apparently turned off the power so that he could attempt to fix the water pump.

It is reported that no warning was given to the passengers, so that “they would not panic.”

Nevertheless, the bottom deck was soon heavily flooded, prompting a rush to the upper deck, which caused the ferry to turn over.

Poland's consul in Thailand Wioletta Stefaniak-Kaluzna has confirmed that the Polish casualties were a married couple of about sixty years of age. Both were doctors from the city of Stalowa Wola in south east Poland, and were on holiday in the region.

It was initially thought that the number of casualties was six, but Stefaniak-Kaluzna told the Gazeta Wyborcza daily that the toll has risen to at least nine, and about 30 people are missing.

“Divers are still searching the wreck,” she confirmed.

The ferry was making a half-hour crossing between the popular tourist destinations of Lan island and Pattaya when the accident occurred.

The vessel was designed to accommodate from 130 to 150 passengers, but it has been claimed that it was carrying about 200 on Sunday evening. (nh)