Fearing the worst. British tourist lost at sea in Thailand.

JUST before 9am local time on Saturday morning, a boat carrying a group of tourists on a snorkelling trip, sank just four miles off the coast of Thailand. 

On December 23, The Reggae Queen was approximately four miles from the Surin Islands archipelago in southern Thailand, when it suddenly hit heavy waves and began taking on water, before sinking completely. British woman Millie Young was immediately washed off of the boat, and although rescuers managed to get 12 of the passengers to safety, including a British family of four, there is still no trace of Ms Young. She now appears to be lost at sea, alongside a Thai woman who was also swept away. 

Local coastguards are continuing their search, which is focused in the area where they believe the strong currents may have taken The Reggae Queen and dragged it down into the depths. 

There is still hope that the two missing persons may still be found alive, however, as time passes, many are beginning to fear the worst. 

“Two people are still lost”, stated the man leading the rescue efforts, Rear Admiral Pongmit Narongkul, Chief of Staff of the 3rd Naval. “Air crews have flown over the area where we believe the sea currents would have taken the people. The ship has also still not been found. The wind in the area is quite strong, which is an obstacle to the search. There are cargo and fishing ships in close proximity and they have been instructed to continue searching at night, until the missing people are found.”

During November and December, conditions at sea in the south of Thailand are known for being extremely dangerous, with powerful currents and enormous waves. In addition to this, heavy rain often beats down for hours on end, making visibility near impossible. 

Thai islands are popular with tourists who are looking to go diving and snorkelling because of their crystal clear waters and varied marine species. However, the safety standards on these tours are unregulated, making them a hazard for inexperienced divers. 

Just one day before this happened, on the morning of December 22,  92 passengers had to be rescued from a sinking ship that was travelling to Koh Tao. The Sandee Maneesap 111 was a night boat travelling from Surat Thani province to Koh Tao island, when the vessel began to take on water due to a broken pump.  

Making his statement on the missing British woman, Ms Young, Supoj Rodruang Na Nongkhai, who is the governor of Phang Nga province, said that, “a helicopter will join the search. There is also a navy ship and national park staff in lifeboats searching the area along with other search personnel. We are putting all of our resources into finding them.”