A Father’s Disappearance: Tragedy Strikes the Strait of Hormuz
For three decades, Kiattisak Pawaphuchake’s life was defined by the rhythm of the sea. Nine months out of every year, he’d be at sea, working gruelling overnight shifts on some of the world’s largest cargo vessels. Sleep was a luxury, snatched at odd hours, and precious time with his beloved 14-year-old daughter, Jarupa, was a distant memory. This year, however, was meant to be different. He’d made a solemn promise to his wife, Jarinporn, that he would finally hang up his electrician’s tools, retire from his demanding career, and return to their village in Thailand’s north-east. Their dream was to start a farm, and crucially, he’d be home to witness Jarupa’s high school graduation.
That dream was shattered on March 11th. As the bulk cargo carrier Mayuree Naree attempted to navigate the perilous Strait of Hormuz, Iranian projectiles ripped through its hull. Kiattisak, working near the engine room, was last seen then. He, along with two other crew members, has not been seen or heard from since.
Jarinporn Manowan, 48, recounted the devastating news from the humble living room of her home in Pho Chai village. “I heard the news from the TV. I knew right away that it was my husband’s ship,” she told the ABC. “I didn’t know what to do. I prayed that he would be one of the 20 crew members who had survived, but he’s one of the three who are missing.”
The Mayuree Naree, owned by Thai company Precious Shipping PCL, had entered the Persian Gulf on February 28th, the same day that US and Israeli forces began their aerial bombardments of Iran. As the conflict escalated and Iran began to control the vital waterway, the ship found itself among hundreds of vessels trapped in the region. For approximately ten days, Kiattisak and his fellow sailors waited in the Gulf before making a desperate bid to escape the escalating danger.
In the pre-dawn hours of March 11th, under the cloak of darkness and with no cargo on board, the Mayuree Naree set a course for the Strait of Hormuz. Ship tracking data reveals the vessel was travelling at a brisk pace, close to its maximum for a bulk carrier, when it abruptly slowed to a crawl around 8 am local time. This was the moment the two Iranian projectiles struck, piercing the ship’s hull near the engine room.
The last conversation between Kiattisak and Jarinporn, on March 10th, revealed the crew’s difficult decision. Kiattisak informed his wife that the company had offered them the option to wait in a hotel in the UAE for flights home. However, after deliberation, the crew concluded that remaining stationary might be just as perilous given the escalating missile strikes. They opted to sail. “He was so worried because they were in this war situation,” Jarinporn explained. “It wasn’t just him. Everyone [on the ship] was worried because it was risky.”
Their fears were well-founded. Before the Mayuree Naree‘s ill-fated voyage, the Royal Thai Navy had issued at least four advisories highlighting the significant risks associated with transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
‘Iran is Attacking Ships All Over’
Reports from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) indicate that the Mayuree Naree is just one of at least 20 ships to have been targeted in and around the strait since the conflict began. Iran has employed tactics such as blocking tankers and directly attacking vessels traversing the strait, aiming to disrupt the global economy and exert pressure on its adversaries. However, maritime security experts note that these attacks are not confined to the narrow waterway itself.
“Iran is attacking ships all over the Persian Gulf [and] the Gulf of Oman,” stated Jennifer Parker, a maritime security analyst and former director of operations for US Central Command. “In fact, quite a number of ships that have been attacked were not anywhere near the strait. Some of the captains of the ships and the companies … may actually assess that it is safer to get outside of the gulf than it is to remain in there.”
International maritime law, typically enforced by the flag state of a vessel, governs the safety of ships and their crews. For the Mayuree Naree, this responsibility falls to Thailand.
Precious Shipping PLC declined to comment when approached for an interview. In a written response to inquiries, the company stated that the decision to allow the ship to attempt passage through the strait was made due to the prevailing threats within the Gulf. Previous statements from the company indicated that they had “implemented enhanced security precautions and maintained communication with the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and other relevant maritime security coordination centres, while providing regular position reports in accordance with applicable advisories.”
Despite these measures, the question lingers for Kiattisak’s grieving wife: “Why did they decide to sail the ship? Why were they so confident to sail the ship? They should have docked and waited to see the situation before they decided to sail the ship.”
Hundreds of Vessels and Sailors Stranded
The escalating threat of Iranian attacks has effectively turned the Persian Gulf into a maritime trap, leaving hundreds of vessels in limbo as the only viable exit route remains perilous. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint, facilitates the passage of approximately 20% of the world’s oil supply. Daily transit numbers have plummeted from over 100 vessels to a mere handful, with many of those managing to pass through unscathed often belonging to the so-called “shadow fleet” – vessels that operate outside international maritime regulations, often flying false flags, using fictitious names, and broadcasting spoofed tracking data.
“Seafarers on these ships tend to be treated a lot worse,” Ms. Parker observed. “If they’re sanctioned because they’ve been transiting Iranian oil, then you’d say that they probably have good connections with Iran, and Iran is letting them through. I would say more broadly, with the kind of opaque ownership structures of these ships, [they] don’t care about the safety of that ship or about seafarers.”
The Mayuree Naree, however, was not under sanction, and there is no evidence to suggest any association with illicit activities. This raises further questions for the families of the crew about why the ship and its crew were permitted to navigate such dangerous waters.
Following the attack, 20 surviving crew members of the Mayuree Naree were rescued by the Omani navy after spending hours adrift on rafts. They have since been reunited with their families in Thailand. Yet, the fate of Kiattisak Pawaphuchake and two other crewmates remains a disturbing mystery. The Thai government has been actively engaging with Iran, urging assurances for the safety of any potential rescue mission, but has yet to receive a definitive response.
“I want him to come back to me. I want a miracle,” Jarinporn Manowan pleaded, her voice heavy with a mother’s and wife’s desperate hope. “He must have survived, right? He’ll come back alive, right?”
