Sunken Cargo Ship Salvage Operations Continue in Phuket

Phuket –

The Incident Command Center overseeing the salvage of the sunken cargo vessel SEALLOYD ARC convened a morning briefing to assess progress and set operational priorities.

Our previous story:

Maritime authorities in Phuket, supported by the Royal Thai Navy, successfully rescued all 16 crew members from the Panama-flagged cargo vessel SEALLOYD ARC after the ship began taking on water southwest of Kaew Noi Island.

The Pollution Control Department (PCD) has assessed that the oil spill from a Panama-flagged cargo vessel that sank off Phuket is unlikely to drift toward Thailand’s shoreline, while overall coastal seawater quality remains within normal standards.

Now for the update:

The Royal Thai Navy ship HTMS Nongsarai led sonar operations to locate the wreck. By midday, the vessel was confirmed at Lat 07°43.88’N, Long 098°16.62’E, resting at a depth of 61 meters on a sandy-mud seabed. The ship lies slightly tilted, with its stern mast just 14 meters below the surface, aligned on a 284.5° axis.

Navy divers from HTMS Matphon successfully attached marker buoys to the wreck’s mast for identification. HTMS Panyi reported minor diesel leakage surfacing southwest of the wreck site. Plans are underway to conduct underwater sealing operations on February 10.
• Aerial surveillance confirmed the oil sheen drifting west-southwest before dissipating within 4.5–5 nautical miles offshore.

HTMS Hua Hin coordinated efforts to consolidate drifting containers. Two groups were secured: one with 13 containers and another with 6, awaiting recovery by a barge equipped with cranes currently being assembled. Additional searches continued using drones, aircraft, and patrol vessels despite rough seas and limited visibility. The shipowner confirmed the vessel carried 218 containers in the hold (secured) and 79 containers on deck, which remain at risk of detachment.

Authorities will continue oil containment operations and accelerate container recovery to mitigate environmental and navigational hazards. The Incident Command Center emphasized coordination among naval units, the Marine Department, and private salvage contractors to ensure swift resolution.

The original version of this article appeared on our sister website, The Phuket Express, owned by our parent company TPN media.