Phang Nga Marine Office Chief Nachapong Pranit confirmed that the boat – registered in Thai as “Saimai” but carrying the name “MV Moana” in English on its hull – caught fire at about 00:30am yesterday.
“There were three people on the boat at the time: the captain Amphon Phraekmuangtue, boat mechanic Wichan Namsuk and one cook. No tourists were on the boat when the fire broke out,” Chief Nachapong said.
“Mr Amphon explained that he saw fire and a lot of smoke coming out of the engine room where the generator was running. The three of them tried to stop the fire by using fire extinguishers, but they failed,” Mr Nachapong added.
“All three left got in a dinghy and went to ask for help from other boats nearby. They returned with help from crewmen on other boats, but they were still unable to put out the fire. The boat eventually sank at around 8:30am yesterday,” he noted.
“When we arrived at the scene, there was no oil floating on the water, and we believe all 1,000 litres of diesel on board had burned out. From our investigation, we believe the generator short circuited, which caused sparks that set the engine room on fire,” Mr Nachapong concluded.
“For safety, we have set a buoy to mark where the boat sank. I have ordered the owner to have the wreck recovered from the site within 45 days.
Police are investigating the incident, Chief Nachapong confirmed.
“Next, Thai Muang Police will question the captain and other relevant people as part of their investigation,” he added.
The owner of the boat, Nutthee Peeratumrongsitt, today told The Phuket News, “I am saddened by what happened to this boat. We have used this boat for about three years. It was worth about B10mn.
“I will go to inspect the wreck in the coming days to make arrangements for its recovery,” he added.