Maritime Executive: Thai Navy Rescues Crew from Sinking Regional Boxship

The Royal Thai Navy rescued the 16 crewmembers from Bangladesh on a small containership that issued a distress signal on Saturday, February 7. They are reporting that the crew was rescued uninjured, and Thai officials are now organizing an emergency response after the vessel sank about three miles offshore from the southern coast of the Phuket region.

The ship named Sealloyd Arc (6,500 dwt) issued a distress call at approximately 3:20 p.m. local time, reporting it was taking on water. The captain told the maritime authorities that the situation was quickly worsening, with the vessel taking on a severe list, and that they were preparing to abandon ship.

A fishing boat and patrol boat rescued the crew (Royal Thai Navy)

A local fishing boat recovered eight of the crewmembers, and a patrol boat from the Phuket Provincial Administration recovered the other eight crewmembers, including the captain of the ship. The fishing boat later transferred the rescued crewmembers to the government vessel, which took the survivors to shore. 

The Royal Thai Navy reports they continued to monitor the vessel and began organizing an emergency response. The 115-meter (377-foot) vessel sank at approximately 9:00 p.m. local time. Built in 2005 and originally a Chinese vessel, it was acquired by the Singapore-based Sea Lloyd Shipping Lines in September 2025. The ship was registered in Panama.

Patrol boats and a reconnaissance aircraft remain at the scene surveying the situation. The ship, which was traveling from Port Klang, Malaysia, to Chattogram, Bangladesh, was carrying 229 containers, including 14 listed on the manifest with hazardous materials. The reports indicate that some of the containers went down with the vessel, while others are floating.

It is unclear how much fuel was aboard the ship, but they are reporting an oil spill stretching westward. It runs about 4.5 miles and is more than one mile wide. So far, no oil has reached the coast.

The Navy reports that efforts are underway to contain the oil slick and retrieve some of the oil. The authorities are also working to tag and retrieve the floating containers. Urgent planning is underway for a salvage operation.