SONGKHLA: A Vietnamese fishing boat went upward in flames and sank after it was caught trawling within Thai waters and its particular five crewmen caught in the Gulf of Thailand off this southern province on Sunday.
HTMS Si Racha of the 2nd Naval Area, under Luxury touring Cdr Phumtham Junjuajan, was patrolling the particular Narathiwat-Koh Losin-Songkhla region when it spotted two boats fishing within Thai waters regarding 8am.
On seeing the particular patrol boat both fishing boats split up and fled in different instructions. HTMS Si Racha chased and captured one of them. It was a Vietnamese boat with five crewmen and had been fishing unlawfully.
The five crew users were moved to the particular patrol boat. 3 navy sailors were left on board this while the patrol boat went after the additional fishing boat.
Shortly afterwards, the particular boarding crew reported to HTMS Si Racha that smoke was billowing from your fishing boat’s engine bay, followed by flames.
The patrol boat returned and rescued the three mariners, and then stayed in the region until the burning motorboat sank about 11. 40am.
HTMS Si Racha returned to Songkhla navy base regarding 6pm on Weekend with the five Vietnamese crewmen, who were afterwards charged with unlawfully fishing in Thai territorial waters.
Since Oct 1 last year, nthe beginning of the fiscal season, 22 foreign fish boats, most of them through Vietnam, have been caught illegally fishing in Thai waters, as well as a total of 104 crewmen arrested, by 2nd Naval Area patrol boats.