Tourist Boat Wrecked on Pattaya Beach After Rough Seas Smash It Ashore

CHONBURI — A tourist boat suffered heavy damage after strong winds and rough seas apparently snapped its anchor line, sending it drifting onto Pattaya Beach late on July 8, with losses estimated at several hundred thousand baht. Nobody was on board during the incident. Reporters were alerted at 23:30 by local residents that a medium-sized tourist boat had been washed ashore near the entrance to Pattaya Soi 1 in Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District. At the scene, the vessel was found stranded on the beach as powerful waves continued pounding its hull, causing severe structural damage to one side. Strong winds and high waves also left smaller boats anchored offshore rocking violently. The boat’s owner, 59-year-old Prasit Sukkul, said he received a phone call from people near the beach informing him that his boat had broken free from its anchorage and had been pushed ashore by the waves. When he arrived, he found that repeated impacts from the surf had badly damaged the starboard side of the vessel. Prasit said the boat had been anchored about 200 metres offshore and was normally used to transport tourists and provide charter fishing trips. Although it had not been in service for nearly a year, he said it had continued to receive regular maintenance. The owner said the exact cause of the incident remains unclear. He noted that the anchor rope was thick and should not have snapped easily, raising the possibility that it may have been deliberately cut. However, he said the severe weather and rough sea conditions could also have caused the rope to fail. The boat cannot yet be moved because authorities are waiting until the morning of July 9 to assess sea conditions and inspect the extent of the damage. Initial estimates place the losses at several hundred thousand baht. If the vessel is found to be too badly damaged to be repaired at the scene, officials may coordinate a salvage operation to remove it from the beach.