I was shocked as I read the tragic news stories about how a double-decker tourist boat, that was supposed to take more than 100 Muslim pilgrims on a pilgrimage, ended up taking at least 27 lives when it capsized and sank on the Chao Phraya River in Ayutthaya on Sunday.
The mounting death toll is awful. But the tragedy I am referring to here has something to do with how the Thai media and authorities reacted to the fatal incident, calling it "an inevitable accident".
Does this sound like an inevitable accident to you? The boat was hit by a wave, tipped over and crashed into something that produced a loud noise before capsizing and sinking in about one minute. Would the incident have transpired differently had the boat, which was supposed to carry only 50 passengers, had not let about 120 people on board?
This tragic event was certainly avoidable. It was the result of the complacency of the passengers, the irresponsible behaviour of the boat operator and its captain, and the negligence of authorities.
Sirinya Wattanasukchai is an assistant news editor, the Bangkok Post.
Over the past few days, the authorities, especially the Marine Department, repeatedly blamed the incident on the passengers for not paying enough attention to their own safety and the boat and tour operators for failing to ensure safety for the passengers.
I agree that the passengers should have been aware of their own safety and at least should have paid attention to the boat's maximum capacity. But as they have already been "punished" for it, there is no need for the authorities to pursue them. However, I have not yet heard authorities accepting their own failure to enforce laws regulating boat transport safety. This failure certainly resulted in the loss of so many innocent lives.
The Marine Department yesterday said it would take serious legal action against the boat owner and beef up safety measures to make sure no passenger boats will carry more passengers than the maximum capacity they are allowed.
The "serious legal action" that the department referred to is in fact in a fine of up to 10,000 baht and/or a jail term of up to six months -- the maximum penalties allowed by the relevant laws.
If I were an irresponsible boat operator or boat captain, why should I care about the penalties when I can earn an extra several thousand baht per journey by just accepting a few dozen more passengers? What I risk is a small fine, which I will most likely be able to avoid. A jail term is also unlikely and I will not risk my life because, like most boat operators, I won't be on the boat.
Apart from the light penalty, the department made it sound as if this is the first leisure-turned-tragedy boat trip in our modern history. Thailand has in fact experienced several fatal boat accidents.
In 1995, the Phran Nok pier in Bangkok's old town took 30 lives when it collapsed because it was overcrowded with commuters waiting to board express boats. (The worst part of this tragedy is the long delayed compensation to the victims' kin which came 20 years later.)
Since then, several incidents of boats sinking, collapsing, crashing or even exploding have made headlines regularly . The only difference between each incident were the casualty figures.
Two weeks ago, Deputy Transport Minister Ormsin Chivapruck -- who cared enough to experience the delights of a public boat trip himself -- complained that passenger boats in Khlong Saen Saep stopped for only 30 seconds at each pier, making it difficult and dangerous for passengers to hop on and off the boats.
Again, I've not heard the department say it would try to fix the problem -- even after a complaint by its deputy minister!
In many cases, safety does not seem to be the first priority of the department when it comes to law enforcement. For example, it told local residents in Samut Songkhram's Amphawa district to remove their personal piers which extend from their riverside homes, saying the piers encroach on the river. The department didn't mention the need to ensure safety for water transport. Ironically, unlike those homes, a few business operators there are still allowed to keep their commercial piers.
I recently went to enjoy the riverside at Pom Petch Fort in Ayutthaya one evening only to find a group of about 10 jet ski riders acting as if they were street racers. One of them was speeding and trying to perform spectacular stunts in the middle of the river while the rest weren't slowing down.
If the department cares about river transport safety, it should be aware that strict regulations and effective law enforcement can make fatal accidents preventable.