Trat: Eight tourists and a skipper were rescued from the sea off Chanthaburi's Laem Sing district after their fishing boat capsized in a storm early yesterday morning, local authorities said.
They were pulled from the sea by the crew of a speed boat which picked up a distress signal. The skipper of the boat dropped them off at a dock in Trat's Laem Ngob district.
The survivors appeared to be exhausted but sustained no serious injuries.
Suebsak Hoisang, a 37-year-old skipper, said he and eight tourists, who came from Trat and Chanthaburi, set sail in a fishing boat off Laem Sing district on late Friday afternoon.
At 5am, strong winds and high waves battered the boat and within 20 minutes the boat capsized. He instructed everyone to attach themselves to empty petrol barrels to stay afloat.
After a few hours, a speed boat came to the rescue and everyone was pulled to safety.
Chitchob Oak, 38, an amateur fisherman, thanked concerned parties for their rescue operations.
"I was shocked. It was the first time I was on a sinking boat. I followed the skipper's every instruction. It was a relief to see a speedboat coming," he said.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department yesterday issued thunderstorm warnings for the North, the lower Northeast, and the Central Plains including Bangkok until tomorrow.
According to the department, more rains were expected in the South with high waves of 2-3 metres in the gulf and the Andaman Sea during this period. All ships were advised to proceed with caution, and small boats in the Gulf should keep ashore.
In Lampang, about 100 houses in tambon Ban Kha in Muang district were hit by runoff yesterday morning after heavy downpours, authorities said.
Those in low-lying areas were under 1 metre of water.
Troops from the 32nd Army Circle and officials from the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office were dispatched to help villagers affected by the flash flood clean up and repair damaged houses.
The weather office in the Northeast yesterday advised residents to stay warm and prepare for sudden changes of weather after the temperature dropped by 6-8C.
