The Governor of Phuket praised all agencies for their teamwork in quickly controlling the speedboat fire at Chalong Pier and ordered urgent relief for the affected operators. The fire damaged 24 boats, with losses exceeding 40 million baht.
On 8 Jan 2026 GMT+7, reports stated that Phuket Province is working to resolve a speedboat fire incident at Chalong Pier, Chalong Subdistrict, Mueang District, Phuket Province, which occurred around 04:00 on the morning of 7 Jan. Police from Chalong Police Station and rescue personnel received the alert and immediately moved to control the situation.
At 11:00 on 7 Jan GMT+7, at the Phuket Smart Pier building, Chalong Bay tourist pier, Mr. Nirat Pongsitthithaworn, Governor of Phuket Province, convened an urgent meeting with relevant agencies to monitor the situation, devise problem-solving strategies, and arrange assistance for those affected.
Attending the meeting were Police Major General Sinlert Sukhum, Commander of Phuket Provincial Police; Colonel Adul Chuthong, Deputy Governor of Phuket; Mr. Rungrueang Thimabut, Phuket Provincial Clerk; Mr. Phairoj Srilamul, Chief District Officer of Mueang Phuket; Mr. Rewat Areerob, President of Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization; Mr. Adul Ralukmool, Director of the Phuket Regional Marine Office; Mr. Charan Kwan-kaew, Acting Head of Phuket Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office; Ms. Kanjana Sriraksa, Director of the Phuket Office of the Office of Insurance Commission; Mr. Sophon Kiamkan, Phuket Provincial Public Relations Officer; along with heads of government departments and related local agencies.
Mr. Adul Ralukmool, Director of the Phuket Regional Marine Office, reported that preliminary inspections found 22 speedboats damaged by the fire, belonging to 13 operators, with estimated losses of approximately 38 million baht.
Mr. Rewat Areerob, President of Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization, reported that at the time of the fire, Chalong Subdistrict Municipality, Rawai Subdistrict Municipality, Wichit Subdistrict Municipality, Karon Subdistrict Municipality, the Pearl Center of Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization, and related agencies mobilized fire trucks and personnel to spray water and contain the fire. They cut ropes and separated boats to prevent the fire from spreading. Despite operational difficulties caused by low tide and strong winds, all involved parties managed to control the situation quickly, demonstrating commendable and effective teamwork.
However, at 16:15, additional reports indicated the damage had increased to 24 speedboats, with total losses exceeding 40 million baht.