Classic 100-year-old yacht catches fire off Na Jomtien coast

A nearly century-old classic luxury yacht went up in flames off the coast of Na Jomtien. All passengers narrowly escaped by rubber dinghy. The cause is believed to be an electrical short circuit.

A luxury yacht named Kemy, with hull number 5000 53626, caught fire off the coast of Ban Amphur Bay, Na Jomtien Subdistrict, Sattahip District, Chonburi Province on Saturday morning (May 3). 

The 74-foot white-painted steel yacht was anchored approximately 500 meters from shore when a fire broke out amid light rain that had begun earlier on Friday. The blaze quickly intensified and spread, with the exact cause still under investigation.

According to preliminary reports, Na Jomtien Mayor Rapeepan Rattanaliam ordered emergency services to respond swiftly. Fireboats, speedboats, and jet skis from the municipal disaster response team, Ocean Angel, and Pattaya Water Sports Club were dispatched to battle the flames, which were initially concentrated in the engine room before spreading to the cabin and helm.

Rescuers used water cannons and maneuvered jet skis and speedboats to direct high-powered water spray toward the burning vessel. After nearly an hour of intense firefighting, the blaze was brought under control. The yacht was later towed to shore for further inspection and to ensure the fire had been completely extinguished. Damage assessment is ongoing.



Chidchanok Narknoi, 58, the yacht’s owner, recounted that the fire began at around 6.20am while he and three others were drinking coffee at the rear of the boat. They noticed the smell of burning wires and smoke billowing from the lower engine room. 

Upon investigation, he saw sparks and attempted to put out the fire with a CO2 extinguisher, but the flames quickly became uncontrollable.

He and the others grabbed all eight onboard extinguishers to fight the blaze, but were ultimately forced to abandon the yacht using an inflatable boat. Fortunately, all on board escaped safely. Chidchanok believes the fire was likely caused by an electrical short circuit.

He noted that the yacht is a nearly 100-year-old classic vessel, which he purchased from a previous owner about a year ago. He had recently replaced the engine, which alone was worth 4 million baht. Unfortunately, the yacht was not insured. While the financial loss is significant, he expressed gratitude that everyone escaped unharmed and thanked all responders for their swift action, which helped prevent total destruction.

Meanwhile, Wattana Boonruang, a local resident who witnessed the incident, said he was exercising on the beach when he noticed thick smoke coming from the yacht. Realizing it was a fire, he promptly alerted local authorities and Pattaya Water Sports Club, enabling a rapid response that helped contain the damage.

(2025/05/03-00:00)