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News.com.au
09-05-2025
- News.com.au
22-year-old Aussie tourist tragically drowns in Thailand
A 22-year-old Australian tourist has drowned in Thailand after reportedly diving into the sea while drunk during a boat tour. Horrifying footage shows onlookers watching as medics perform CPR on the Melbourne man while on board a tourist boat on May 6. A medic can be seen rapidly pumping up and down on the young man's chest before stopping and appearing to let a colleague take over. The 22-year-old reportedly jumped off the Marinda 2 tour boat to swim off the coast of Koh Racha Yai, a popular destination for snorkelling and diving. He attempted to paddle in the water but was dragged underwater due to strong currents and inebriation. Medics were dispatched to the scene after receiving a distress call from the boat operator at 2.28pm local time. They found the tourist unconscious and unresponsive on the deck and immediately administered CPR. Upon detecting a pulse, he was rushed to Chalong Hospital in Phuket. However, he was pronounced dead at 3.53pm. A boat trip from the island of Koh Racha Yai typically takes 45 minutes to 1 hour and an additional 15 minutes in a car to arrive at Chalong Hospital. Police lieutenant colonel Kanen Somrak of Chalong Police Station told local media the victim is an Australian national, adding there were seven foreign tourists, including the deceased. 'The victim had consumed a large amount of alcohol before entering the water. He was reportedly intoxicated and repeatedly jumped in and out of the sea before eventually drowning,' Mr Somrak said. 'No illegal substances were found at the scene. Only empty alcohol beverage bottles were discovered.' Authorities have contacted the Australian embassy to inform the young man's family of his death. His body is being kept at the Vachira Phuket Hospital as officials arrange his repatriation. has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for comment. Indonesia's notoriously dangerous beaches Just days earlier, A Chinese tourist was filmed in her final moments before tragically drowning while trying to retrieve a camera she dropped on a diving trip in Indonesia. Zhang Xiaohan, 30, went scuba diving to admire the corals and marine life off the remote Kabakan Island in East Kalimantan on May 2. However, the woman's GoPro camera she was using slipped from her hands as she was ascending almost eight metres through the waters She battled and tried to drag herself up the depths but was washed away by fast-flowing currents. Rescue teams, the local marine search agency Basarnas and soldiers were dispatched to comb the sea around the island. After repeated diving attempts, the holidaymaker's body was found 88 metres below the surface, near the popular Kelapa Dua diving route, at 2.55pm on Saturday, May 3. Indonesia's beaches, though stunning, pose several dangers including strong rip currents, rogue waves, and unpredictable tides that can make swimming perilous, especially for inexperienced swimmers. In August last year, university professor Dr James Hou Fu Liu, 62, from New Zealand drowned while snorkelling off a beach in Indonesia. While in September 2024, Colleen Monfore, 68, from South Dakota, was dragged away by the strong currents around Pulau Reong island off the coast of the country's Southwest Maluku Regency. She was believed to have been a victim of sharks before the remains of her body surfaced. A 2019 study showed that Indonesia experienced an average annual unintentional drowning mortality rate of 2.58 per 100,000 people – translating to approximately 4,500 deaths each year. Despite calls from the World Health Organisation for Indonesia to designate a lead agency to co-ordinate drowning prevention efforts, it is yet to establish these measures.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Aussie tourist is arrested at Thai airport - and the allegation that could lead to life imprisonment
An Aussie tourist allegedly wanted for armed robbery has been arrested after his name was flagged during a biometric screening at an airport in Thailand. The Australian man, identified by officials as 'Mr Mc', was arrested on May 3 at 8.30pm at the International Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, the country's capital. Mr Mc was on Thai Airways flight TG432 from Bali, Indonesia, to Thailand and was flagged by authorities while he was trying to board a connecting flight to Phuket. The airport's immigration system flagged the Aussie tourist's name during a routine biometric screening, according to the Immigration Bureau. The screening showed he was banned from entering Thailand and that he had an active arrest warrant for an armed robbery from the Phuket Provincial Court. Police Lieutenant Colonel Chaiwat Chansuwan, Deputy Superintendent of Investigation at the Chalong Police Station, confirmed the Australian had a standing arrest warrant. Officials did not disclose the nature of the offence or when it took place as the case is still under Thai criminal investigation. However, the warrant alleges the Australian man committed a 'robbery with or using a firearm' and that he also 'used a vehicle to commit an offence' while in Phuket. 'The arrest was smooth and the suspect did not resist the police,' a police spokesman said. 'The Immigration Division 2 successfully caught him and handed him over to the relevant authorities for further legal action.' Mr Mc had passed immigration control, but was flagged after his face was scanned at the airport's automated biometric identification system. The Thailand Digital Entry Card (TDAC) system, powered by Facial Recognition technology, was introduced in November 2024 and uses passenger's biometric data. Passengers who have registered can use their biometric data to bypass traditional passport or boarding pass checks including baggage drop, security checks and boarding. The system is also used to match arriving passengers to any outstanding warrants, entry bans and Interpol red notices. Mr Mc's faced was scanned, which alerted authorities to a red flag and triggered an additional screening. As a result, the Australian man was detained and prevented from continuing to Phuket. He will remain in detention until his case is processed. It's understood Mr Mc will not be allowed to remain in the country, with authorities withholding his identity as formal extradition or prosecution procedures. Mr Mc will remain in detention until his case is processed. Mr Mc could face heavy penalties if he is convicted of armed robbery as it carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment under Thailand's criminal code.
