Surat Thani —
At 3:00 PM on November 23rd, 2024, Surat Thani authorities established an operations center at the Cheow Lan Lake pier to search for the missing person at the Ratchaprapha Dam in Khao Sok National Park, Baan Takhun district.
Local media provided an update on a tourist boat sinking at the Ratchaprapha Dam in Khao Sok National Park, Baan Takhun district, on the afternoon of November 23rd, 2024. Mr. Rene Mary Corre, an 83-year-old French tourist, went missing in the incident.
Petchaluck Rujirawat, a tour guide, confirmed that the group of 10 French tourists had been traveling in Thailand for about 10 days, visiting northern Thailand before heading south.
On the day of the accident, the group arrived at the dam to experience the scenic “Guilin of Thailand” before heading to Phuket the following day. The weather was reportedly clear when they set out, and all passengers were wearing life jackets, including the missing tourist, according to Petchaluck.
The boat capsized near a popular photo spot in the dam after an unexpected heavy rainstorm and strong winds struck while the tourists were taking pictures. The boat overturned around 11:45 AM.
Despite the severe conditions, all passengers were reportedly able to float in the water, but the current swept away the missing French man. Rescue boats arrived quickly to assist, and the tourists were safely returned to shore, according to Petchaluck.
Later, the missing tourist’s friends used GPS to pinpoint his last known location near the capsizing site.
Local authorities found the tourist’s bag floating in the water. Of the 12 survivors, four French tourists suffered minor injuries, and two guides and one boat driver were also injured.
The search was suspended at 6:00 PM due to poor weather and strong waves, with plans to resume operations today (November 24th).
