'Ghost ship' with Chinese letters labelled discovered off coast of Thailand

Oil rig workers off the coast of Thailand discovered an abandoned Chinese 'ghost ship' floating crewless in the middle of the night. 

According to reports, Chevron's oil rig workers noticed the vessel labelled 'Jin Shui Yuan 2' in Chinese characters in the Gulf of Thailand on January 6th.

Surprisingly, the ship had no cargo or paperwork on board that may have been used to identify the crew. 

Footage posted to the internet shows the ship floating through the night as crew members from other ships try to save it.

Following the unexplained finding, local authorities began working with Thailand's marine department to prevent the ship's oil leak from causing environmental damage. However, the ship sank while being towed by the Thai Navy near Sichon District in Nakhon Si Thammarat province owing to heavy winds.

"We tried to tow the ship to land, but it sank before we could get to it. Captain Itthipat Gavinfuengfukul had stated that "buoys had been deployed at the point where it sank."

Buoys were installed to identify the location where it sank, and fishermen were advised to use caution while sailing. A notice was also issued requiring the vessel to be salvaged within 15 days. 

The ship's lower deck had not been used in a long time, according to the investigation. 

"At the point where it sank, buoys have been placed. The ship is roughly 28 nautical miles from the shore of Sichon district, and is 18 metres below the surface of the water "Captain Itthipat stated.

He went on to say that if the shipowner comes forward, he or she will have to claim the wreckage.