Encountering high waves and strong winds, the engine of the 15-metre-long Chok Thara 2 speedboat broke down, and the boat sank near Koh Ngam and Koh Kalok at around 7pm. Eight tourists and three crewmembers were rescued and five tourists were initially reported missing. The boat owner called a larger ship named Thapana to tow it back to shore, but the boat sank and capsized quickly. Police had interviewed 10 witnesses who said the boat sank so fast that many on-board had to swim to the towing boat. Sonthichai said the boat owner and the boat driver were brought into custody to initially face a charge of recklessness causing death and injury to others.

Source: The Nation Bangkok July 27, 2017 12:00 UTC