Terror at sea as Thai tourist ferry sinks
<p><span word="Download">Download</span></p><p><span word="Thai">Thai</span> <span word="rescuers">rescuers</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Monday">Monday</span> <span word="recounted">recounted</span> <span word="frantic">frantic</span> <span word="efforts">efforts</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pluck">pluck</span> <span word="terrified">terrified</span> <span word="survivors">survivors</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sea">sea</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="crowded">crowded</span> <span word="tourist">tourist</span> <span word="ferry">ferry</span> <span word="sank">sank</span>, <span word="leaving">leaving</span> <span word="six">six</span> <span word="dead">dead</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="foreigners">foreigners</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="tragedy">tragedy</span> <span word="raised">raised</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="questions">questions</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="safety">safety</span> <span word="standards">standards</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Thailand">Thailand</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="drew">drew</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="record">record</span> 22 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="tourists">tourists</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="struggling">struggling</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="shake">shake</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="reputation">reputation</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="lax">lax</span> <span word="regulation">regulation</span>.</p><p><span word="Three">Three</span> <span word="Thais">Thais</span>, <span word="one">one</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Hong">Hong</span> <span word="Kong">Kong</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="unidentified">unidentified</span> <span word="foreigners">foreigners</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="among">among</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dead">dead</span>, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="officials">officials</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tourist">tourist</span> <span word="resort">resort</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Pattaya">Pattaya</span>, <span word="around">around</span> 150 <span word="kilometers">kilometers</span> <span word="southeast">southeast</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Bangkok">Bangkok</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="double">double</span>-<span word="decker">decker</span> <span word="ferry">ferry</span> <span word="sank">sank</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Sunday">Sunday</span> <span word="afternoon">afternoon</span> <span word="near">near</span> <span word="Koh">Koh</span> <span word="Larn">Larn</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="island">island</span> <span word="popular">popular</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="day">day</span>-<span word="trippers">trippers</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Pattaya">Pattaya</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="popular">popular</span> <span word="beach">beach</span> <span word="resort">resort</span> <span word="renowned">renowned</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="racy">racy</span> <span word="nightlife">nightlife</span>.</p><p>"<span word="The">The</span> <span word="boat">boat</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="minutes">minutes</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="saw">saw</span> <span word="people">people</span> - <span word="some">some</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="jackets">jackets</span>, <span word="some">some</span> <span word="without">without</span> - <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="water">water</span>. <span word="One">One</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="holding">holding</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="gas">gas</span> <span word="cylinder">cylinder</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="panicking">panicking</span>, <span word="shouting">shouting</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="help">help</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="dive">dive</span> <span word="guide">guide</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="scene">scene</span>.</p><p><span word="Police">Police</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="apart">apart</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="six">six</span> <span word="dead">dead</span>, <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> 150 <span word="to">to</span> 200 <span word="others">others</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="boat">boat</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="believed">believed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="rescued">rescued</span>. <span word="Nineteen">Nineteen</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="injured">injured</span>.</p><p><span word="Accidents">Accidents</span> <span word="involving">involving</span> <span word="boats">boats</span>, <span word="buses">buses</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="forms">forms</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="transport">transport</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Thailand">Thailand</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="safety">safety</span> <span word="standards">standards</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="generally">generally</span> <span word="poor">poor</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="recent">recent</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="Thailand">Thailand</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="tourist">tourist</span>-<span word="friendly">friendly</span> <span word="image">image</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> "<span word="Land">Land</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Smiles">Smiles</span>" <span word="has">has</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="tarnished">tarnished</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="violence">violence</span>, <span word="crimes">crimes</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="foreigners">foreigners</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="devastating">devastating</span> <span word="floods">floods</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="visitor">visitor</span> <span word="numbers">numbers</span> <span word="continue">continue</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="rise">rise</span>.</p>
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