Man drowns after jumping off canal boat in latest commuter tragedy

A 50-YEAR-OLD man drowned in Bangkok’s Saen Saeb canal at around 6am yesterday as he was stepping off a commuter boat at Nanachat Pier. 
The body of the man, who was later identified as tour-bus driver Theerapong Silarit, was retrieved from the four-metre-deep canal a few hours later by volunteer divers from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation. The retrieval of the body took hours because of traffic by other commuter boats. 
The victim’s body had bruises on the neck and shoulder and was sent to Ramathibodi Hospital for an autopsy.
Chaowalit Metyaprapas, owner of the boat service firm Family Transport (2002) Co, offered his condolences and said his company would compensate the victim’s family starting with funeral expenses. 
 He also said another member would be added to the usual boat crews of one driver and one conductor to help to take care of passengers as they board and exit the boat. He said the company would also require boats to stop at each pier for a longer period so passengers do not need to rush on and off. 
Family Transport has been operating express boat services along 18 kilometres of the Saen Saeb canal since 1990. The boats stop at 28 piers, starting at Bang Kapi’s Wat Sri Boonreung Pier and terminating at Pom Prap’s Saphan Phanfa Leelat Pier. The company’s 55 boats, 70 drivers and 100 conductors cater for 40,000 commuters daily on weekdays and 20,000 on weekends. 
Meanwhile, boat driver Wichien Thamsamer, 38, and conductor Pornchai Saeyang, 35, told police at Makkasan Police Station that Theerapong lost his balance and fell off the boat just as it was about to stop. 
Pornchai said one passenger had jumped out just as he was about tie the boat off to a pillar, and Theerapong followed suit, but plunged into the canal. He said the accident happened despite him shouting that passengers should remain inside the boat until it had stopped completely. 
The conductor said he had told Wichien to move the boat so its propeller blades did not hit Theerapong, before he alerted the company and authorities to help to look for Theerapong. However, after waiting 30 minutes for a sign of the victim, the boat had no choice but to drop other passengers off, he said. 
“I feel very bad and very sorry for what happened. I have worked here for five years, but never seen anything like this before ... I tried to warn people but they wouldn’t listen. I have seen this man many times before, as he usually boarded the first boat ... It feels very bad that he was on our boat and we saw him die like this,” Pornchai said. 
Several accidents have hit Family Transport boats before. On March 5, Theerapong sustained a slight injury when a commuter boat owned by the same firm caught fire at the Wat Thep Leela Pier. 
Deputy Transport Minister Omsin Cheewapreuk, who inspected the Saphan Phanfa Leelat Pier along with police, Marine Department officials and rescue workers, said CCTV footage showed one passenger jumping off the boat followed by Theerapong, who fell into the canal. 
He said boat service providers had been previously instructed to ensure that all boats stopped completely before commuters were allowed to disembark. He said authorities would wait for the police to investigate the incident, adding that if the boat did not stop completely, steps would be taken to prevent a similar incident. 
Police spokesman General Dechnarong Suticharnbancha said he had instructed Makkasan police to study the incident to see if it had been caused by recklessness or if it was an accident. 
He has also urged people to be careful when boarding and disembarking from transport vehicles both on land and water. 

Major accidents in Klong Saen Saeb:
•    August 17, 2010: Death by drowning of Phra Maha Apirak Premrung, 25, after he falls off a commuter boat near The Mall Ramkhamhaeng Pier.
•    May 25, 2012: A commuter boat’s mid-section engine catches fire, which spreads to the canvas roof, prompting driver to dock at Thong Lor Pier. No injuries or death reported.
•    December 24, 2012: The death by drowning of boat conductor Kamonpan Pha-at-rat, 30, after she falls into the canal as she slips while walking on the boat.
•    January 4, 2013: The death by drowning of an unnamed male passenger after he falls while stepping out of a commuter boat at Pratunam Pier.
•    April 2, 2013: Two speeding commuter boats in the canal cause large waves that hit people on the Chan Issara Pier, knocking many people to the ground. CCTV footage of the incident goes viral on the Internet, becomes known as “Klong Saen Saeb Tsunami”, and leads to the suspension of the two boat drivers’ licences and a Bt5,000 fine for service operator Family Transport (2002) Co.
•    October 17, 2013: A commuter boat crashes into the Wat Thep Leela Pier while it is about to dock. Before the vessel sinks, some 100 passengers flee to safety. No deaths reported.
•    March 5, 2016: A commuter boat explodes at the Wat Thep Leela Pier resulting in 60 injuries, including two serious cases, leading Family Transport to order its 25 boats to stop using liquefied natural gas (LNG).
•    November 10, 2016: The death by drowning of commuter Theerapong Silarit, 50, after he falls off a commuter boat near Nanachat Pier.