By Reuters  January 15, 2018 | 08:31 am GMT+7 Six others are in a severe condition. A tourist speedboat carrying 31 passengers exploded in front of Phi Phi Le island in the southern Thailand province of Krabi on Sunday, injuring 16, mostly tourists from China, the Phi Phi police told Reuters. The speedboat, named “King Poseidon”, was ferrying 27 Chinese tourists from the nearby resort island of Phuket to Phi Phi before its engine caught fire and exploded injuring 14 tourists and two crew members, the police said, adding that the authority is still investigating the cause of the explosion. Out of the 16 injured, six are in a severe condition, Phi Phi hospital staff told Reuters, adding that seven people have been sent to hospitals in Phuket for further treatment and nine have been discharged. Beach resorts and islands in southern Thailand are major tourist attractions, particularly during the high season from November to March. Tourism accounts for around 12 percent of Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy and is one of its fastest growing sectors. The Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports expects the country to welcome 37 to 38 million tourists in 2018, up from around 35 million visitors last year, 10 million of which were tourists from China.
An injured woman is brought to the Pattani provincial hospital after the bombing (Photo: AFP) Hanoi (VNA) – At least one person was killed and 19 wounded when a bomb exploded near a noodle stall in Thailand’s southern Pattani town, a largely Muslim are, said the country’s police on October 24. The attack comes two months after a wave of bombings in tourist towns in southern Thailand that killed four Thai residents and wounded dozens, including foreigners. Police confirmed the attacks were linked to Muslim militants. The southernmost area of Thailand bordering Malaysia is home to many Muslims and has witnessed…... [read more]
Director of the Danang Inland Waterways Authority and a head manager of city's docks have been suspended for 15 days as the investigation into the cause of the boat accident that killed three people in Danang City continues. Thao Van 2 tourist boat Chairman of Danang City Huynh Duc Tho confirmed the decision on June 6 that they suspended Le Sau, director of the Da Nang Inland Waterways Authority, and Nguyen Cong Hieu, head of Danang docks management board. Tho said they had asked agencies including the transport and public security departments to review and define the individual responsibility over…... [read more]
Thai police investigate bombing site (Photo: AFP/VNA)Bangkok (VNA) – Two soldiers were killed and five others injured after a bomb was remotely detonated on March 9 in Thailand’s Muslim-majority deep south, according to Thai police.The explosion occurred at 3:10 pm in Chanae district, Narathiwat when soldiers, paramilitary rangers and defence volunteers riding two vehicles were escorting to a teachers’ car travelling from Ban Ai Krot School to their residences.Two soldiers died instantly at the blast site and the five others were injured, two of whom are in critical condition, police said.After months of relative calm, Thailand’s south has seen increasing…... [read more]
Whirlwinds sink four tourist boats in HalongMinh Duc By Minh Duc - The Saigon Times Daily HANOI – Unseasonal whirlwinds and rough waters triggered by a tropical low pressure sank four tourist boats in the World Heritage-listed Halong Bay in Quang Ninh Province, with no casualties reported, the provincial government said last Friday. The sunken boats are Tung Trang 12 QN-2477 of Hong Phong Co., Sunrise QN-2287 of Binh Minh Co., Phong Hai 02 QN-3012 of Phuong Hien Co. and cargo boat QN-6582. One of the boats was carrying 12 foreign tourists, one guide and seven crewmembers when it sank.…... [read more]
A map of Pattani province (Photo: Weather-Forecast.com) Bangkok (VNA) – A bomb blast in Pattani province, southern Thailand, onJune 19 killed at least five soldiers and injured four others, according tolocal news.Number of attackers and their identities remain unknown, said the Matichon.There was no group claim responsible for the attack, and police suspected thatit was planted by insurgents in southern Thailand.Conflict erupted from 2004 caused daily violence in southern Thailand,including the provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat. About 6,800 people werekilled in attacks in the region, according to authorised agencies. The Thai Government and insurgents are seeking ways to address the…... [read more]
