Monday, January 15, 2018
A tourist speedboat is carrying 31 passengers exploded in front of Phi Phi Le Island in the southern part of Thailand province in Krabi injuring 16. The injured tourists are mostly the tourists hailing from China.
According to the local police authority, the speedboat, named “King Poseidon”, was ferrying 27 Chinese tourists from the nearby resort island of Phuket to Phi Phi before its engine caught fire and exploded injuring 14 tourists and two crew members.
Out of the 16 injured, six are in a severe condition, adding that the seven people have been sent to hospitals in Phuket for further treatment and nine have been discharged.
The beach resorts and islands in southern Thailand are major tourist attractions, particularly during the high season from November to March.
The tourism in Thailand accounts for around 12 percent of Southeast Asia, noting as the second-biggest economy holder and is one of its fastest growing sectors.
The Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports expects the country to welcome 37 to 38 million tourists in 2018, up from around 35 million visitors last year, 10 million of which were tourists from China.
