Then, on March 11, Iranian projectiles tore through the hull of his ship, the Mayuree Naree, as it attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. No-one has seen or heard from him since.<\/p>\n
“I heard the news from the TV. I knew right away that it was my husband’s ship. I didn’t know what to do,” Jarinporn Manowan, 48, told the ABC in the living room of her home in Pho Chai village.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/08e803ee7a8d1e4f48c3c5556b7d1300.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
A photo of the damaged and burning Mayuree Naree released by the Thai navy. (Supplied: AP)<\/p>\n
Owned by Thai company Precious Shipping PCL, the Mayuree Naree bulk cargo carrier had entered the Persian Gulf on February 28 \u2014 the same day US and Israeli bombs first hit Iran.<\/p>\n
As the war escalated, and Iran choked off the only exit, the ship became one of hundreds which were stranded. Kiattisak and the rest of the crew spent about 10 days sitting in the Gulf before attempting to make their escape from the Middle East.<\/p>\n
In the early hours of March 11, under the cover of darkness and carrying no cargo, the Mayuree Naree darted towards the Strait of Hormuz. The ship’s tracking data shows it was travelling up to 25kmh, close to top speed for bulk cargo carriers, when it suddenly slowed to a crawl at around 8am local time.<\/p>\n
That’s when two Iranian projectiles pierced the ship close to the engine room, where Kiattisak was last seen.<\/p>\n
During their last phone call on March 10, Kiattisak told his wife that the company had given the crew the option to remain at a hotel in the UAE and wait for flights home.<\/p>\n
But, he said, the crew held a meeting and decided that staying might be equally dangerous with the escalating missile strikes. They chose to sail.<\/p>\n
“He was so worried because they were in this war situation. It wasn’t just him. Everyone [on the ship] was worried because it was risky,” Jarinporn said.<\/p>\n
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5ede8e848a4aa3d07d26fa6bb4326b66.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Crew members of the Mayuree Naree were rescued by the Omani navy after their ship was struck. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
Kiattisak and his fellow crewmates had every reason to be frightened. Before the Mayuree Naree’s ill-fated attempt to leave the gulf, the Royal Thai Navy had issued at least four warnings about the risks of transiting the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
‘Iran is attacking ships all over’<\/p>\n
The Mayuree Naree is one of at least 20 ships which have been attacked in and around the strait since the war started, according to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reports.<\/p>\n
Iran has blocked tankers and struck ships crossing the strait, as a way to wreak havoc on the global economy and put pressure on its enemies in the war. But analysts say its attacks have not been limited to the narrow waterway.<\/p>\n
“Iran is attacking ships all over the Persian Gulf [and] the Gulf of Oman,” maritime security analyst and former US Central Command director of operations Jennifer Parker said.<\/p>\n
“In fact, quite a number of ships that have been attacked were not anywhere near the strait.<\/p>\n
“Some of the captains of the ships and the companies \u2026 may actually assess that it is safer to get outside of the gulf than it is to remain in there.”<\/p>\n
Ships and the safety of their crew are regulated under international maritime law, which is typically enforced by the country where a vessel is registered, shown by a ship’s flag.<\/p>\n
In the case of the Mayuree Naree, that would be Thailand.<\/p>\n
Precious Shipping PLC did not reply to a request for an interview. In response to written questions, it said the ship was allowed to try and sail through the strait because of the active threats in the Gulf itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In previously released statements, it said that the company 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”.<\/p>\n
Before the Mayuree Naree was struck, at least nine other ships had been attacked in the area.<\/p>\n
“Why did they decide to sail the ship? Why were they so confident to sail the ship?” asks Kiattisak’s wife Jarinporn.<\/p>\n
“They should have docked and waited to see the situation before they decided to sail the ship.”<\/p>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2c214ee074b7c6d6ae9381f16b52afbf.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Kiattisak, a missing Thai sailor, had planned to retire and spend more time with his wife and daughter. (ABC News: Haidarr Jones)<\/p>\n
Hundreds of ships and sailors still stranded in Gulf<\/p>\n
Hundreds of vessels have been effectively stranded in the Persian Gulf as the threat of Iranian attacks effectively shut the only way out.<\/p>\n
The Strait of Hormuz is a vital choke point through which about 20 per cent of the world’s oil flows.<\/p>\n
On average, only a handful of ships are transiting through the strait each day where upwards of 100 normally sail through.<\/p>\n
![\"Oil](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/19bc0ba3f9256175850b4b916e09bdfd.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Two oil tankers were engulfed in flames after being struck at a port near Basra, Iraq. (AP)<\/p>\n
Of the vessels that make it through unscathed, most are sanctioned or part of the so-called “shadow fleet”, a name given to vessels which defy international maritime regulations.<\/p>\n
Many fly false flags, use fake vessel names, and broadcast spoofed tracking data.<\/p>\n
“Seafarers on these ships tend to be treated a lot worse,” Ms Parker said.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n