British tourist dies in a fire on dive boat off Tao Island

**misskit** · 17-03-2025, 05:40 AM

A female British tourist was killed and 27 others were rescued today, after the boat taking them to a scuba diving and snorkelling location about 6 nautical miles from the popular Tao Island in Surat Thani province, caught fire.

The Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (TMECC), based in Surat Thani, is reported to have received a SOS message from the rescue centre on Tao Island, stating that dive boat was on fire at sea.
Then TMECC then asked vessels in the area to rush to the scene to rescue the passengers and crew.

All except one passenger was rescued. The volunteers also helped to put out the fire, which is reported to have started in the engine room.

No details were available at the time of this report as to the cause of the British national’s death.

British tourist dies in a fire on dive boat off Tao Island

**taxexile** · 17-03-2025, 08:30 AM

Alexandra Clarke, 26, was reportedly in the bathroom when a blaze spread rapidly from the engine

Alexandra Clarke, a 26-year-old backpacker from London, is missing after a boat fire in Thailand

Ruth Hallows
16 March 2025 9:03pm GMT

A British tourist is missing after a fire broke out on a diving boat off the island of Koh Tao in Thailand.

Alexandra Clarke, 26, a backpacker from London, was reportedly in the bathroom at the back of the boat when a blaze ignited from the engine of the wooden vessel at 9.15am local time on Sunday.

There were 22 people aboard the boat, named Davy Jones Locker, 16 of whom were tourists, according to officials.

Fifteen tourists were evacuated to another boat, along with two crew members and four diving instructors and assistants.

Photos from the scene show large plumes of smoke billowing across the sky, as neighbouring boats watch on. After the fire was extinguished, the authorities conducted a thorough search and discovered one person was missing.

The boat was reportedly transporting tourists from Koh Tao to a diving site at Southwest Pinnacle, and the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.

“A fire started in the engine room and spread through the boat rapidly.

“Thai-MECC Surat Thani coordinated with private vessels and volunteers to safely evacuate the tourists and crew members onto another boat.

“Meanwhile, another team of volunteers worked to control the fire. Preliminary reports indicate that the engine room, captain’s cabin and rear restroom were damaged. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.”

Lt Col Nattapol Sinpunphol, the deputy director of the Surat Thani Marine Department, said: “The search is continuing for one missing tourist, a female, Alexandra Clarke, from the United Kingdom.

“The conditions at sea are dangerous with the wind and currents. All boats in the area have been notified. Search and rescue teams were immediately mobilised.”

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Thailand and are in contact with local authorities.”

Koh Tao, a popular scuba diving destination, has been branded Death Island in recent years following a number of murders and disappearances.

In 2014, the bodies of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, two British backpackers, were found on Sairee Beach in the early hours of Sept 15.

Doubt still lingers on the conviction of two migrant Burmese workers, U Zaw Lin and U Win Zaw Htun, for their murder, after a stumbling police investigation and speculation of a cover-up to protect a prominent local family.

There have been at least 16 known cases of unexplained or suspicious tourists deaths on the island since 2014, but the number is thought to be a lot higher.

Last year, the body of Theo Bailey, another British backpacker, was found in a shallow ditch on April 12 after he went missing on a night out with his girlfriend.

© Telegraph Media Group Holdings Limited 2025

Unlicensed chickenheads on the island of death operating ageing and poorly maintained rustbuckets hired out to cowboy diving schools running scam courses for naive and blinkered backpackers from health and safety obsessed western nanny states where nothing bad ever happens.

What could possibly go wrong.

**Mendip** · 17-03-2025, 08:50 AM

The conditions at sea are dangerous with the wind and currents.

Look at that smoke, it looks really windy...

My swimming pool gets bigger waves than that.

**taxexile** · 17-03-2025, 09:12 AM

There were 22 people aboard the boat, named Davy Jones Locker

What could possibly go wrong.

Davy Jones' locker is a metaphor for the oceanic abyss, the final resting place of drowned sailors and travellers. It is a euphemism for drowning or shipwrecks in which the sailors' and ships' remains are consigned to the depths of the ocean (to be sent to Davy Jones' Locker).

Euphemism for oceanic abyss, the resting place for sailors drowned at sea. Other explanations of this nautical superstition have been put forth, including an incompetent sailor or a pub owner who kidnapped sailors.

**harrybarracuda** · 17-03-2025, 09:44 AM

Fancy feeling you're the only one that knows that.

**DrWilly** · 17-03-2025, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by Mendip

Look at that smoke, it looks really windy...

My swimming pool gets bigger waves than that.

Bit of a laff talking about an engine room and bathroom on that tiny floating boat.

**cyrille** · 17-03-2025, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by Mendip

My swimming pool gets bigger waves than that.

The displacement must be considerable, at times.

**pickel** · 17-03-2025, 11:09 AM

If smoke was pouring in, it would have taken her seconds to pull her panties up, open the door, and jump overboard. Sheer panic must have set in and turned her brain off.

**harrybarracuda** · 17-03-2025, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by pickel

If smoke was pouring in, it would have taken her seconds to pull her panties up, open the door, and jump overboard. Sheer panic must have set in and turned her brain off.

So you have the complete layout of the boat and where the fire was.

Please feel free to share.

**pickel** · 17-03-2025, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

So you have the complete layout of the boat and where the fire was.

Please feel free to share.

Look at the pictures already posted. It's a tiny dive boat, I've been on plenty.

**39TG** · 17-03-2025, 02:03 PM

Bit of a mystery.

**cyrille** · 17-03-2025, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by pickel

Look at the pictures already posted. It's a tiny dive boat, I've been on plenty.

Most people who've been in Thailand for some time have, even if not diving.

We all know where the engine is ffs.

Just not noob harriet.

**cyrille** · 17-03-2025, 05:35 PM

SPOT THE BLAZE

The engine of a small boat is on fire in this picture.

Can you spot the engine?

Send your answers via PM to harriet.

**harrybarracuda** · 17-03-2025, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by cyrille

The engine of a small boat is on fire in this picture.

Can you spot the engine?

Send your answers via PM to harriet.

And can you guess where the toilet was sybille?

Take your time now.

It may not be clear from this picture as it may have already been incinerated.

British tourist dies in a fire on dive boat off Tao Island-untitled-jpg

**Bonecollector** · 17-03-2025, 08:57 PM

Probably raped, murdered and then the boat set on fire. It's Koh Tao ffs

**harrybarracuda** · 17-03-2025, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by Bonecollector

Probably raped, murdered and then the boat set on fire. It's Koh Tao ffs

An interesting concept.

More likely that the somchais were the first overboard throwing women and children behind them.

**harrybarracuda** · 17-03-2025, 09:52 PM

Col Sarayuth Buriwachira from Koh Tao Police said the tourists and diving instructors had been taken to the Southwest Pinnacle at about 07:30.
He said that at about 10:00 "an employee on the ship whose duty was to fill the air tank took extra gasoline to fill the engine tank above the amount until the gasoline overflowed and spilled".
"When he started the engine, a spark occurred, causing the engine to catch fire and spread, causing the entire ship to burn and eventually sink into the sea."
The fire spread quickly, he added, engulfing the engine room and forcing the divers, instructors and crew to jump into the sea.

Thailand boat fire: British tourist missing after Koh Tao blaze

**KWAN** · 20-03-2025, 07:25 AM

Banner across todays Independent (UK) ! ! 1

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