Pattaya speedboat crash injures nine off Bali Hai pier

A Pattaya speedboat crash late on Monday night left nine people injured after a speedboat carrying tourists back to shore struck a chartered fishing boat off Cape Bali Hai in South Pattaya. All of the injured were women, and police are still trying to establish exactly what went wrong, according to the Bangkok Post and Khaosod English.

The collision happened at about 11pm on 9 November near Laem Bali Hai Pier in Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri. Marine rescuers, police and local boat operators went out to help and brought the injured back to the pier.

What happened in the Pattaya speedboat crash

Police said the speedboat was returning to the Bali Hai pier from a seaside restaurant with 27 people on board, including the driver and a crew member. The passengers were a mix of Thai and foreign tourists.

Near the Bali Hai breakwater it hit the bow of a two-deck fishing boat that had been chartered for a night fishing trip. The fishing boat's bow was damaged. The speedboat came off worse: Khaosod English reported that it was badly damaged along its left side and was slowly taking on water about 100 metres away, while the Bangkok Post said the impact sank it.

Reports did not make clear whether the injured had been travelling on the speedboat or the fishing boat.

Who was hurt

Nine women were injured:

• six Thai women
• two Russian women
• one Ukrainian woman

Most had cuts and were in shock. Rescuers gave first aid at the pier before taking them to nearby hospitals. There were no reports of deaths, and the reports did not give details on how serious any individual injuries were.

Two different accounts

The skipper of the fishing boat, identified only as Pong, said he had his passengers out fishing off the cape with the boat's lights switched on. In his account, the speedboat came towards him at speed and hit his bow, even though he tried to slow down.

The speedboat driver told police he did not see the fishing boat. Pattaya police have not yet said who was at fault, and their investigation into the cause of the collision is continuing. Questions about speed, lighting and lookout duties at night are likely to be central to that inquiry.

Night boat trips: safety tips for visitors

Evening boat transfers to seafood restaurants and island venues are popular in Pattaya and in Phuket, and most trips pass without trouble. Still, incidents like this are a reminder that the sea is a different place after dark. Before you board any boat at night, it helps to:

• check that life jackets are on board and that you know where they are
• use operators recommended by your hotel or a licensed tour desk
• ask the driver to keep a steady, sensible speed close to piers and breakwaters
• keep your phone in a waterproof pouch and share your trip details with someone on land
• avoid boarding if the crew or driver appears to have been drinking

More general advice for the resort city is in our guides on how safe Pattaya is for tourists and tips for travelling safely in Pattaya. Visitors heading out by sea in the south can also read our Phuket to Phi Phi ferry guide, which covers what to expect on licensed routes.

What happens next

Police are expected to question both crews and passengers as they work out the sequence of events. Any finding on fault could lead to charges or compensation claims, but nothing has been announced so far. Phuket Times will update this story if police release the cause of the Pattaya speedboat crash or the condition of those injured changes.

The first reports of the collision were published by the Bangkok Post, with further detail from Khaosod English.

Image: Boats moored at a Pattaya pier, the stretch of coast where the Pattaya speedboat crash took place. Photo by calflier001 via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0.