Thai actress' speedboat accident: New evidence emerges, passengers could face charges of negligence causing death

Almost a week after Thai TV actress Nida "Tangmo" Patcharaveerapong drowned in a speedboat accident, the truth of what exactly happened is slowly emerging.

On Feb 24, the 37-year-old went on a pleasure cruise along the Chao Phraya River on a speedboat with five companions. When she went to the back of the boat to relieve herself, she allegedly fell overboard accidentally.

She was not wearing a life jacket and her body was found two days later.

In a report published on March 3 quoting a police source, the Bangkok Post said Thai police have unearthed new evidence.

After tracing the boat owner Tanupat Lerttaweewit's phone, police discovered the man had allegedly consulted several individuals to ask for advice after Nida's fall. He admitted to an individual that one of Nida's companions, Phaiboon Trikanjananun, was steering the vessel at the time of the accident even though he didn't have a license to operate the speedboat.

Trikanjananun reportedly lost control of the vessel, which prompted Nida to grab another of her companions, Wisapat Manomairat, to avoid falling over, said a source from the Provincial Police Region 1.

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Afraid that she would also be pulled into the river, Manomairat claimed she shook off Nida, who fell overboard. Her right thigh was sliced by a propeller blade, according to the source.

According to another police source, another passenger gave a different statement, saying the boat jerked suddenly, causing Nida to fall off.

One of the sources said the five passengers will likely face charges of negligence leading to death and giving false statements to the police. The investigations continue.

kwokkarpeng@asiaone.com