Police in Thailand are investigating a collision between a fishing vessel and a speedboat carrying tourists from countries including Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. A Russian citizen was killed, and dozens of others were injured, according to official accounts.
The collision happened at about 9 a.m. on January 11 while the speedboat was heading from Phuket to the Phi Phi Islands in the Andaman Sea, the Russian embassy in Thailand said.
“According to preliminary information, there were 33 Russian citizens on board the boat, as well as citizens from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and several other countries,” the embassy said. “As a result of the incident, a Russian girl born in 2008 died. 23 of our citizens with various degrees of injuries were hospitalized in several medical institutions in Phuket, where they are receiving medical care.”
Thai authorities said the Russian who died was 17 years old.
Kazinform, a state news agency in Kazakhstan, said eight nationals from that country were on the speedboat at the time of the accident and that three were hospitalized in stable condition.
Akhror Burkhanov, press secretary to Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, said on Tuesday that there were three people from Uzbekistan on the speedboat. Two suffered minor injuries and were released from a hospital after treatment, he said.
“In addition, all medical and other necessary expenses of the injured parties were fully covered by the insurance funds of the company that owns the speedboat,” Burkhanov said on X.
Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its embassy in Malaysia had immediately worked with its honorary consul in Thailand and learned that two Kyrgyz citizens were on the speedboat but did not suffer injuries. It said the two tourists will return to Kyrgyzstan on January 15.
Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said several Thai citizens were also injured and that government marine authorities, as well as private fishing vessels, helped the tourists after the collision. It said the accident between the speedboat, Koravich Marine 888, and the fishing vessel, Pichai Samut 1, is under investigation.
Video of the incident that was posted on Instagram by the Thai Enquirer publication showed an overturned boat and people in the water nearby.
On Tuesday, the Russian embassy in Thailand urged people to obtain extended medical insurance, with coverage of at least $100,000 if possible, before traveling to the country.
“The presence of a valid insurance policy allows for promptly receiving the necessary medical assistance, covering the costs of treatment, hospitalization or emergency evacuation, as well as significantly reducing financial risks in unforeseen situations,” the embassy said.
