If you are visiting the Islands for your holiday in Thailand, DO NOT Board a boat to go Island hopping if there are rough seas!
Do Not Get on Any Boat in Rough Seas!
It is not worth the risk of possibly capsizing and drowning in the rough seas.
Many times full bookings are financially more important to the owners/operators than the safety of the passengers.
I would NEVER rely on advice from a tour operator to go on any boat in rough seas.
Five people were successfully rescued after a longtail fishing boat experienced engine failure and drifted off the coast of Phuket in challenging sea conditions yesterday, July 20. At the time of the incident, none of the passengers were equipped with life jackets.
Even on the lakes:
SURAT THANI – A tourist boat carrying 18 people capsized in Ratchaprapha Dam reservoir (Cheow Lan Dam) on Sunday morning, killing a Thai tour guide despite rescue efforts.
The accident occurred just before noon at Moo 3, Khao Phang Subdistrict, Ban Ta Khun District, when strong winds struck the vessel in the popular tourist destination. The boat carried 16 foreign tourists – 5 Belgian and 11 Dutch nationals – along with 2 Thai crew members: a boat driver and tour guide.
All passengers wore life jackets, enabling successful rescue of 17 people who were safely brought to the tourist pier for further assistance. However, tour guide Ms. Tassawan 44, who held a valid tour guide license, died from pulmonary edema caused by drowning.
These people were extremely lucky.
Don’t risk your life going out in rough seas. Safety is not #1 here but your own life should be.