A boat was completely destroyed and sank at the entrance of Tha Sala Bay, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. Officials revealed clues indicating it was a "smuggled oil tanker." The boat had no registered name, and no owner has come forward to report the incident yet.
A large boat caught fire violently around 03:00 on 21 Jan 2026 at the entrance of Tha Sala Bay, Tha Sala Subdistrict, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. Initially, it was believed to be a fishing boat, and four survivors were rescued by fellow fishermen. The boat’s wreck sank to the sea floor. Authorities had requested the boat owner to report the incident to the Tha Sala Police Station, as previously reported.
On 22 Jan 2026, an official provided new information indicating the boat involved was not a fishing vessel but a smuggled oil tanker delivering fuel to customers at Pak Nam Tha Sung Bon, Tha Sala Subdistrict, Tha Sala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. This location is a major hub for smuggled oil being brought ashore. The incident occurred about 2-3 kilometers from shore before the boat could dock.
The same official noted that the fire was extremely intense due to a large quantity of oil onboard. The boat had no name and did not report entry or exit to the control center known as Pipo. Normally, registered boats can request assistance after an incident. After the fire, another boat rescued all four crew members. What remains now is a wide oil slick on the sea surface, and the boat wreck has completely sunk. At the time, all believed it was a fishing boat.
Since the incident yesterday until now, no reports have been filed, no boat name has been given, and no owner has identified themselves. There are no entry or exit records in the Pipo system. Local people are reluctant to discuss the incident. The sinking of the boat has effectively destroyed key evidence, making Pak Nam Tha Sung Bon an important site for smuggled oil being brought ashore.