Floating restaurant flooded, sinks off Pattaya

CHON BURI: A floating pirate-themed café and restaurant was flooded and left partially submerged by rough seas off Pattaya on Monday evening. Nobody was hurt.

The double-decked raft, named Krakenian, offers dining, live music, a karaoke room and squid fishing.

It began listing to one side as it was battered by waves driven by strong winds around 4pm on Monday. It was flooded and partially submerged.

There was an unconfirmed report of a problem with a water pump not working properly. Rescuers were rushed to aid the raft.  All employees were safe. There were no guests on board.

The pirate-themed restaurant was only recently opened. Speedboats take customers out to it.

Company executive Pichet Thanomchart, 41, said the restaurant had been closed for some days because of the poor weather and rough seas.

He said water had entered into the port side of the vessel and caused it to list heavily. The entire raft did not sink. It was fortunate the restaurant was not open at the time, Mr Pichet said. Nobody had expected this would happen.

The Krakenian floating cafe and restaurant was flooded by rough seas off Pattaya, Chon Buri, on Monday. (Video: FM91 Trafficpro)

Wasant Meesat, head of Pattaya City sea disaster prevention, said on Tuesday that part of the infrastructure was still above water. The hull was nose down and resting on the sandy sea bottom. The water was not deep.

Raising it back to the surface would take about one hour once the operation got underway, Mr Wasant said.

Krakenian floating raft, modified as pirate-themed restaurant in the sea, is popular among tourists visiting Pattaya. (Photo: Chaiyot Pupattanapong)