Rescue teams found the body of one missing tourist today (Sunday), but continue to search for another after a tour boat encountered a waterspout and capsized in Bang Tabun Bay in Phetchaburi province last evening.
Two males, “Krisnan” and “Chanin”, went missing after the boat capsized.
Phetchaburi governor Natthachai Nampoonsuksant was at the scene to supervise the search until about 8pm, when the operation was suspended before resuming this morning.
Seven tourists, including three men and four women, were on the sight-seeing boat trip of the bay area when the waterspout occurred at about 5.30pm.
The driver of the boat, “Samphan”, told the police that, on the way back, about two kilometres from the shore, a waterspout was suddenly formed and hit his vessel violently, causing it to capsize.
He said that none of the seven tourists were wearing life jackets, but he managed to save five of them and the other two could not be located.
Charnchai Thongklam, who was eating at a coastal restaurant with some friends, said he saw the waterspout and used his cell phone to record the event.
Marine Department officials said they will call a meeting with tour boat operators, to tell them to exercise special caution when they take tourists on sight-seeing tours and to ask all passengers to wear life jackets when at sea.
