A British tourist has reportedly been missing for two nights after falling into the sea during a sightseeing trip in Thailand.
Wesley Bates, 35, who holds dual British and Australian nationality, fell into the sea off Koh Samui during a “drunken” speedboat trip.
Chaktam Jaijong, the captain of the vessel, claims the group that charted the boat – four men and one women – ignored warnings not sit on the bow without life jackets.
Mr Jaijong said the group were already drunk when he picked them up for the tour and Mr Bates lost his balance during windy weather and fell into the water as they made their way back to the island at around 4pm.
He added: “They didn’t listen to me when I told them to sit properly because it was very dangerous to sit on the boat’s head.
“They looked very angry, so I didn’t want to keep bothering them, so I just let them sit there.”
Mr Jaijong was aided by local fishermen in searching for Mr Bates before the authorities were notified and the search continued without success.
Police Major Worasak Akarakul, the inspector of Koh Samui police station, said that Mr Bates had still not been found.
He said: “Officers have questioned the boat captain and the owner of the vessel. Their statements will form part of the investigation.
“Rescue teams are co-operating to search for the tourist and all vessels in the area have been notified alerted.’’
A Foreign & Commonwealth Office spokesperson told Yahoo News: “We are in contact with the Australian embassy in Thailand, which is leading on a consular case following an incident involving an Australian-British dual national.”
The FCO added that they are supporting one of the passengers on board the boat, British citizen Roger Humphreys.
