PHUKET: A pre-dawn fire at Chalong Pier in Phuket has destroyed more than 20 speedboats, prompting the provincial governor to order an investigation into the cause and emergency measures to prevent any oil from spreading into the sea.
Police at Chalong station and rescue workers were alerted at about 4am on Wednesday (Jan 7), 2026 to a blaze involving speedboats at the pier in Chalong subdistrict, Mueang district.
Phuket deputy governor Adul Chuthong said that after the province was notified, agencies were ordered to move in immediately to control the situation.
Initial information from witnesses and officials indicated that an explosion and fire broke out on the first speedboat before sea winds carried burning debris to other vessels moored nearby, causing the blaze to spread rapidly. Early assessments suggested more than 20 speedboats were damaged.
Firefighting teams from Chalong municipality, Rawai municipality, Wichit municipality and Karon municipality, along with other agencies, rushed fire engines and personnel to the scene. Officials worked to contain the flames by spraying water and cutting mooring lines to separate boats as far apart as possible to prevent further spread.
However, the operation was hampered by low tide, which made access difficult and meant the fire could not be brought under control immediately.
Governor Nirat Pongsitthavorn ordered the Phuket Marine Office to obtain foam to help suppress the fire and prevent oil dispersion in the sea.
He also instructed police and forensic officers to inspect the site and conduct a detailed investigation, including reviewing CCTV footage from the pier and surrounding routes.
Officials noted that many of the boats had full fuel tanks, as they had been prepared to take tourists to nearby islands.
The latest damage assessment still put the number of affected boats at more than 20. Later in the morning, as the tide rose, officials were able to begin moving vessels. The governor ordered that boats be removed from the area as quickly as possible to prevent sediment and debris from being left in the sea and to reduce impacts on the marine environment.
One boat owner said three of his speedboats were damaged, each worth 5 million baht. He normally runs trips to Racha Island and Coral Island and said he had to cancel bookings for the day despite having a full schedule, affecting more than 100 tourists. He said the losses were severe. - The Nation/ANN
