Cargo Ship Collides with Tourist Boats on Chao Phraya River, Sinking One Small Boat.

BANGKOK: A cargo trailer collided with a tourist boat parked on the bank of the Chao Phraya River near the Bangkok Bridge, causing damage to five large tourist boats and sinking one small boat. This morning, a large tugboat dragged a barge loaded with coal down the Chao Phraya River but lost control and skidded into a tour boat of a famous company that was docked near the Bangkok Bridge in the Bang Kho Laem area. This caused damage to five 200-seat tour boats. The tour boat that was hit had a large tear at the stern, while another boat had its side window completely shattered. In addition, a 45-seat tour boat was lost. According to Thai News Agency, locals who witnessed the incident said that at around 10:00 a.m. they heard a loud noise like boats crashing on the riverbank. They ran out to see what was happening and saw a cargo ship crashing into about 5-6 boats parked on the riverbank. Some of the boats were thrown off and hit a bridge in the middle of the river. One boat sank completely. There were no inju ries because there were no staff or people using the boats along the river in the morning. If this incident had happened around 2:00-3:00 p.m., it would have been a big deal because staff would start taking care of the boats at that time. The driver of the barge, who was brought in by the police for further testimony at Bang Kholaem Police Station, said that he was driving the barge carrying coal towards Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. When he reached the scene of the accident, he encountered a strong current and one of the ropes towing the boat on the left side snapped. This made him unable to control the boat and caused it to swerve and crash into the boats parked in a row along the river. He admitted that he had been drinking alcohol since the time the boat was parked, but the police checked his alcohol level and it was not over the limit. The Marine Department inspected the scene and reported that the tugboat named 'Choknapatdara' had an expiration date of 18 November 2025. Four cargo ships were pass ing over the Bangkok Bridge when they lost control and crashed into a famous restaurant boat moored on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River, damaging four boats. After the incident, the Marine Department brought in the Marine Patrol Vessel 141, along with officers from the Marine Safety and Environment Division, Marine Department, to inspect the area together with the Marine Police Division, the Bangkok Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, and the Bang Kholaem Metropolitan Police Station, the owner of the area where the incident occurred. It was found that there were no injuries or deaths, and no oil slicks or sunken ships obstructing navigation were found.