This sudden explosion and fire on a Phuket-Phi Phi boat on Jan 15 injured 14 Chinese tourists and spurred more efforts at addressing measures to prevent such accidents. A number of recent speedboat accidents that have caused injuries to tourists have prompted officials to speed up the introduction of stricter safety measures in order to restore confidence. Officials in Krabi and Phuket have tabled plans to make rescue boats and crews available for quick response around the clock in case accidents occur. They were enjoying an excursion from Phuket to Viking Cape in Krabi near Phi Phi Le islet on Jan 14. So far, around 2,000 speedboats in Phuket and 500 in Krabi have been registered and meet safety requirements.

Source: Bangkok Post January 22, 2018 03:33 UTC