Underwater object found near Phuket not 'a bomb'

PHUKET: A round object found underwater by local fishermen off the coast of this resort province has been examined and found not to be an explosive, according to Third Naval Area commander Vice Admiral Choengchai Chomchoengphaet.

V/Adm Choengchai, who is also director of the 3rd Area Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai-MECC), said on Sunday that a Phuket-based Thai-MECC office was told by a local fishermen's group on April 30 that an unidentified object had been found underwater west of Ko Ael island.

On May 1, naval officers from an explosive ordnance disposal unit of the Third Naval Area went to the spot to investigate. They found it was a round aluminium-like hollow object about 45 centimetres in diametre. It was 6 metres below the surface, about 20 metres west of Ko Ael island.

It was determined that the object was not an explosive device. Further investigation was underway, V/Adm Choengchai said.