A police officer takes photos of the salvaged ferry after it was towed to a dry dock. (Photo by Sunthon Pongpao)AYUTTHAYA - The owner of the tour boat that sank in front of Wat Sanam Chai in Ayutthaya on Sunday, drowning 28 passengers and injuring many others, will face serious charges, the chief investigator said on Thursday. Pol Col Ekarat Uncharoen, chief investigator of Ayutthaya police, said Sunthorn Pansuathong, the owner of the boat, had not fled. Investigators had questioned witnesses and collected evidence in the case and would today charge Mr Sunthorn with operating the tour boat without a skipper and an engineer with valid licences issued by the Marine Department and allowing the boat to be overloaded, causing deaths and injuries. Police would also examine the 32-metre-long and 3-metre-wide concrete river embankment in front of Wat Sanam Chai, where the boat was holed, to see if the design and construction met legal requirements, Pol Col Ekarat said.

Source: Bangkok Post September 22, 2016 06:33 UTC