A LONG-TAIL boat capsized as it was sailing in the middle of Ratchaprapa Dam in Surat Thani today (July 20) but while all 16 foreign tourists and the captain are safe the female tour guide drowned, Amarin TV said.
Provincial Tourist Police webpage said the boat capsized at around 11 a.m. due to strong waves in the dam’s lake.
Pol. Lt. Col. Phattharin Suthiphattham, inspector of Tourist Police Divisions 2, 3 and 4, ordered Ratchaprapa Dam patrol unit to urgently provide assistance and investigate the cause of the accident.
Of the 18 people aboard the long-tail boat, all the foreign tourists, five Belgians and 11 Dutch nationals, and the captain were safely rescued.
However, the female tour guide, Ms. Thasawan Phonlakhon, 44, drowned face down after her head hit the boat.
Local residents said repeated accidents have taken place at this spot, which is called Chong Nam Khao, when it rains and it is very windy because these long-tail boats are small with many tourists having drowned or gone missing there.
Ratchaprapa lake attracts over 70,000 tourists every year due to its scenery. It has been called Thailand’s Guilin after the city in northeast China renowned for its scenery of karst topography, Wikipedia said.
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Tourists rescued after their long-tail boat capsized. Photo: Amarin TV
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