Container ship sinks off Phuket

The Royal Thai Navy is coordinating a recovery and environmental response operation following the sinking of the Panama-flagged cargo vessel SEALLOYD ARC off the coast of Phuket, after the incident resulted in an oil spill and the loss of more than 200 containers at sea.

According to a report by The Nation, the vessel capsized on 7 February while sailing from Malaysia to Bangladesh, going down in waters west of Ko Kaeo Yai near Promthep Cape. The sinking led to containers drifting across a wide area and an oil leak that has raised concerns over potential impacts on the surrounding marine and coastal environment.

Vice Admiral Weerudom Muangjeen, Commander of the Third Naval Area Command, said the Royal Thai Navy is working closely with relevant agencies to plan the salvage of the vessel and mitigate environmental damage. Authorities were alerted after the ship reportedly took on water and suffered damage, leaving it listing and at risk of sinking approximately 10 nautical miles from the Third Naval Area Command’s pier near Ko Kaeo Noi.

At the time of the incident, 16 crew members were stranded onboard. Following the distress report, Vice Admiral Weerudom, who also serves as Director of the Region 3 Maritime Enforcement Command Centre, ordered immediate assistance. Naval units dispatched a Tor 272 vessel and a high-speed patrol boat, while coordination was carried out with the Naraintorn Khai Muk Phuket Centre. All crew members were successfully rescued.

In the aftermath, the Royal Thai Navy has been working alongside Phuket’s disaster prevention and mitigation authorities, marine police, volunteers from the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation, and Marine and Coastal Resources Office 10.

The joint teams have been surveying the affected area, recovering floating containers, and deploying measures to contain and remove oil slicks from the sea.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as salvage planning progresses and environmental response efforts remain ongoing.

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