Pre-Dawn Blaze at Phuket’s Chalong Pier Destroys 20 Speedboats, Halts Island Tours

Even before sunrise, a sudden blaze at Phuket’s busiest departure point for island‐hopping tours sent thick smoke curling over Chalong Bay, destroying more than twenty speedboats, unsettling holidaymakers and forcing officials into a frantic race to prevent an oil slick from spoiling one of Thailand’s most lucrative coastlines.

Quick snapshot

• 20-24 speedboats destroyed at the pier around 04:00.

• No injuries, but ฿38-40 M in asset losses reported so far.

• Authorities deployed foam, booms and fireboats to trap leaking fuel.

• Morning excursions to Racha, Coral and Phi Phi islands faced mass cancellations.

• A joint police-forensic team is still hunting for the exact ignition source.

Dawn blaze rattles Chalong

Witnesses described a sharp explosion just after 4 am on Wednesday, followed by a sheet of fire that leapt from one fully-fueled boat to the next. Fanned by a stiff sea breeze, flames engulfed a row of craft moored on the Chalong Pier service pontoon. By the time crews from the Phuket Marine Police and nearby municipalities arrived, 20-plus craft lay in pieces, with early damage estimates nudging ฿40 M.

Race to contain flames and oil

Firefighters, volunteer deckhands and pier staff worked shoulder-to-shoulder, cutting mooring lines to drag intact vessels clear. A lingering low tide complicated the manoeuvre, but foam cannons eventually smothered the blaze. Even after the last glow died, teams from the Port Authority ring-fenced the area with oil-boom barriers. Officials vowed that the spill containment and debris removal would wrap up inside a 24-hour clean-up window to safeguard nearby reefs.

Tourist itineraries thrown off course

The row of burnt hulls included many of the boats that ferry day-trippers to Racha and Coral Island—two of Phuket’s biggest draws. Operators scrambled to rebook or refund more than 100+ holidaymakers whose tours vanished overnight. While alternative vessels kept the pier open, the incident cut into peak high season earnings and triggered an employment ripple that left boat crews and local guides temporarily sidelined.

Environmental safeguards under scrutiny

Early sampling showed only trace diesel slicks, with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources reporting normal pH readings and dissolved oxygen levels. Still, conservationists fear long-term effects on nearby marine parks if sunken debris lingers. Reef health, critical to diving operators, remains the focus, and officials posted public beach warnings urging a short precautionary closure of swimming zones nearest the pier.

Investigators follow the sparks

A combined unit of forensic engineers and provincial police is combing charred hulls, paying special attention to the first boat’s engine compartment where a suspected fuel line rupture or faulty electrical system may have triggered the fire. CCTV footage, insurance assessors, and a review of pier-side safety regulations are all on the table. Investigators say they are not ruling out criminal negligence until mechanical causes are confirmed.

Relief packages and long-term lessons

The governor’s office has readied emergency grants and low-interest loans through the national SME fund after designating Chalong a disaster area. Talks are under way on crew retraining, stricter mandatory drills and a wider pier renovation plan that includes extra fuel bunkering safeguards. Local leaders argue that swift compensation and visible upgrades will be key to restoring tourist confidence before the next high season crest.