Thai tourist boat sinks off Samui

[Lev]

KOH SAMUI, Thailand - A speed boat packed with tourists heading to the Thai island of Koh Samui after an all-night beach party capsized on Tuesday, killing at least seven people, including several Westerners, police said.

The accident off Thailand’s east coast came just a month after thousands of foreign tourists died in the Indian Ocean tsunami along the country’s western shoreline.

Seventeen people were reported missing, including three Swedes, two Hungarians, a Swiss, a German, an Austrian, a Norwegian and a Briton, said a police officer on Samui island.

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Southeast Asian governments have urged foreigners not to scrap vacation plans over tsunami concerns, saying the region is taking steps to ensure that its resort islands and beaches are safe.

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[dr dave soul monsta]

This as we both know very well Admin, the standards on most boats ferrying tourists to these islands have little or no safety procedures in force ,and are usually always over crowded to say the least insufficiant or no life presserving equipment ,
Will this accident bring about change I think not !

There is a saying in Uk health and safety law which is a escape route fror companies , “reasonably practicableâ€

[Rider]

I was in Koh Tao that night and the following day the Thai Boat Captain told us what had happened. The seas were considered far too rough for the crossing (he said) and for many of the speed boat captains they consider themselves immortal to the elements only wanting the dosh!

[tonychang]

looks like this isnt the first time:

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/Reader/reader1521.htm