A Vietnamese man, who was trying to row India to join his wife from whom he has been separated for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been rescued by the Thai navy, the latter said on Thursday. AFP.
Ho Hoang Hung had left Phuket, in the south of Thailand, at the beginning of March aboard a small inflatable boat carrying only a few cans of water and sachets of instant noodles.
His goal: to cross the Bay of Bengal and reach India some 2,000 kilometers away to see his wife, from whom he has been separated for two years due to strict travel restrictions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday, the 37-year-old was spotted by a fishing boat near Thailand’s Similan Islands, about 80 kilometers from the mainland.
The fishermen contacted authorities who came to rescue him and took him into custody, Captain Pichet Songtan of Thailand’s maritime security command center told AFP.
Ho Hoang Hung had no map, compass, GPS or spare clothes and had only a limited amount of water, the captain added.
His journey began in Vietnam from where he flew to Bangkok. Hearing that he needed a visa to go to India, he traveled by bus to Phuket where he bought the dinghy.
Apparently hampered by headwinds, he made little progress during the two weeks of his journey.
Ho Hoang Hung will be transferred to Phuket where he will be interrogated.
Thai authorities have contacted the Vietnamese and Indian embassies to look into his case.