OUR WONDERFUL ELECTRICIAN IS CRITICALLY ILL IN HOSPITAL

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Sombat worked with us throughout the 2014/15 refit, and has just been badly hurt in an explosion…

He is one of those rare people you meet now and then: genuine, kind and honourable. We have seen him around the marina here in Krabi, and he always takes time to stop with a smile and a chat as he rushes between projects. He was due to meet Jamie later this week to discuss some minor questions we have.

Sombat is friends with all our workers, and it was through Wit and Lek (currently doing the stainless work on our dodger) that we found out what happened. He was in Port Takola, a nearby marina, where he had been working on a boat. When he turned on the engine, the boat blew up. We understand it was a petrol leak which caused the explosion. No-one was killed, but Sombat was seriously hurt. They rushed him to hospital where he is in intensive care. Wit also sustained some minor injuries from the blast, and is understandably shaken up by the whole experience.

WIT, WHO ALSO SUSTAINED MILD INJURIES FROM THE BLAST

Sombat’s family lives in the far north of Thailand, and have travelled south to camp out on the hospital veranda. It is normal here for families to tend to their loved ones by feeding and washing them. When he shows any sign of improvement he will be moved to Phuket Mission Hospital, where there are better facilities for treating his injuries. At the moment it is too dangerous to move him. Today a tube was removed from his throat, but his condition is still critical. They are removing the breathing tube in stages. Currently he is partially breathing by himself and partly by oxygen. Oxygen pressure has been reduced.

From what we understand, Social Security in Thailand covers to a ceiling, beyond that the patient has to pay. Obviously Sombat will go beyond the ceiling. His friends here are collecting donations to help pay for hospital fees. Des Kearns, here in the marina, is coordinating contributions which will be targeted directly towards actual medical costs.

  • SOMBAT’S FUND IS NOW CLOSED.
  • PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY MORE DONATIONS.
  • THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY!
  • Any monies received from hereon in will go into Followtheboat’s Rum Fund

Of course, this is a shocking news for us, and we have already donated 5,000 THB, but you may also feel moved to help. If so, the quickest way is to send a donation to our PayPal account using our email address: liz@followtheboat.com. Please write SOMBAT in the option to leave a note. We will pass on all messages and monies to Des.

Sombat worked way beyond his remit on SY Esper, keeping his costs to a minimum in order to help us, often appearing in the evening and weekends to get the job done. He is well known in this part of Thailand as the go-to, reliable man for all sorts of electrical boat jobs from humble cruising yachts to superyacht projects. Everyone is shocked and deeply upset. Jamie wrote about Sombat in our blog, Sailboat Refit Part 4: Electrics and Electronics.

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2 thoughts on “OUR WONDERFUL ELECTRICIAN IS CRITICALLY ILL IN HOSPITAL”

    1. Liz

      First off, thank you so much for your kindness!
      You can send either, they clobber us one way or the other. We will gather together the donations in all the currencies and send them to Des in Baht. Thanks again! xxx

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