Thai navy find mystery ‘ghost ship’ in Gulf of Siam

The ‘Fin Shul Yuen 2’ sank on Saturday evening during an attempt to salvage it

The ‘Fin Shul Yuen 2’ was found adrift with no crew onboard. All photos: Royal Thai Navy

It sank on Saturday evening during a salvage attempt

The ship’s owner has not been traced

Abandoned vessels pose a danger to other ships and to oil rigs

Thai Navy members inspect the bridge of the ship

The Thai navy has intercepted an abandoned ship floating in the Gulf of Siam, finding no sign of crew members or reason as to why it was adrift.

The 80-metre Fin Shul Yuen 2 was filmed by sailors, its interior rusting and water seeping into the hull below deck, causing it to list to one side.

In stills from the navy’s video, soldiers armed with automatic rifles patrol the vessel’s bridge, beside wall charts – perhaps maintenance logs – and what appears to be a basic navigation instrument.

The ship had Chinese markings, but there has been no confirmation of its origins, such as the country or company with which it was registered or of what its cargo was.

Ghost ships are often tracked and towed by navies and coast guards around the world because they pose a danger to oil rigs and to shipping at night.

The Thai navy said initial plans to pump water out of the vessel and tow it to safety had been put on hold because of bad weather.

On Saturday evening, the ship sank during a second attempt to tow it, said Rear Adm Surasak Pratanworapanya.

The Bangkok Post reported that the ship, which was drifting dangerously close to oil rigs, appeared to have been abandoned intentionally, with no sign of crew or documentation on board.