Holiday horror: Speedboat explosion off Phuket injures tourists (2025)

Holidaymakers were left terrified and injured when a speedboat burst into flames and exploded near Koh Mai Thon off the coast of Phuket this morning, April 1, turning a tropical escape into a scene of chaos and panic.

The explosion injured six people, including three foreign tourists, a tour guide, and two crew members, one of them the boat’s captain. All were rushed to the hospital following the terrifying incident.

The ill-fated vessel, Thana Marine 555, had departed from Tha Chalong Pier earlier in the day, carrying 33 tourists and a guide for a snorkelling and sightseeing trip around the idyllic island.

But the trip took a dangerous turn around 9am, shortly after arriving at Koh Mai Thon, when the boat reportedly developed engine trouble.

According to Nachaphong Pranit, Director of the Phuket Marine Office, the engine caught fire before exploding, sending flames and debris into the air as stunned swimmers watched from the water nearby.

At the time of the explosion, only three people remained onboard, the captain and two crew members, while many tourists were already swimming in the sea.

“The captain and one crew member suffered burns, while three tourists and the guide sustained shrapnel injuries,” Nachaphong said.

The emergency response was swift. Officials from the Phuket Marine Office were dispatched to the scene to investigate the cause of the explosion. The Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre also joined the operation, deploying the HTMS Hua Hin to assist.

The Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation sent both a fireboat and a speedboat with a crew to tackle the blaze, but the Thana Marine 555 was completely engulfed and ultimately destroyed.

Dramatic images and videos of the burning boat quickly surfaced on social media, showing flames shooting skyward as black smoke billowed into the blue skies above the Andaman Sea.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, but Phuket officials have vowed to conduct a thorough probe into the incident and examine safety protocols for tour boats operating in the region, reported Bangkok Post.

With Phuket drawing thousands of tourists daily for island-hopping excursions, the fiery incident has once again raised concerns about boat safety and emergency preparedness in one of Thailand’s top tourist destinations.

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