Dozens Dead, Hundreds Missing as Rohingya Boat Capsizes off Malaysia, Thailand Border

12 November 2025 Langkawi, Malaysia / Koh Tarutao, Thailand

At least 27 Rohingya asylum seekers have died and more than 200 remain missing after a boat carrying hundreds of people fleeing persecution in Myanmar capsized in the Andaman Sea near the Malaysia–Thailand maritime border.

Authorities from both countries launched joint search-and-rescue operations after debris and bodies were found drifting near the Thai island of Koh Tarutao, close to Malaysia’s Langkawi Island. Survivors told rescuers the vessel had departed from Myanmar’s Rakhine State about a week earlier, carrying roughly 300 passengers, mostly Rohingya refugees seeking safety in Malaysia.

Survivors Describe a Desperate Journey

Thirteen people were pulled alive from the water by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and Thai Navy units. Survivors said the wooden fishing boat, heavily overcrowded and running low on food and fuel, was split into three smaller craft as it neared Malaysian waters in an effort to avoid detection by patrols.

One of the smaller boats, believed to have been carrying about 70 people, overturned in rough seas late Saturday night. “The waves were high, people screamed, and the boat broke apart,” one survivor reportedly told local authorities from his hospital bed.

Confusion Over Missing Boats

Two other boats that departed at the same time have not been found. Human-rights groups fear that as many as 200 people, including women and children — may still be adrift or dead at sea. Malaysian officials said air and sea patrols were continuing, but hopes of finding more survivors were fading.

No Evidence of Attack by Malaysian Forces

Rumours spread online claiming that Malaysian naval forces had “shot or sunk” the refugees’ boat. However, no credible evidence supports those allegations. Officials in Kuala Lumpur denied the reports, saying the tragedy was caused by “bad weather and overloading.” International media outlets including Reuters, Associated Press, and Al Jazeera likewise described the incident as a capsizing, not a deliberate attack.

Rising Death Toll in the Andaman Sea

The latest disaster underscores the growing dangers faced by the stateless Rohingya, thousands of whom attempt perilous sea crossings each year to escape conflict and poverty in Myanmar or the overcrowded refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

UNHCR expressed “deep sorrow” over the loss of life and urged Southeast Asian governments to improve coordination in maritime search-and-rescue. Amnesty International said the tragedy “highlights the desperation of the Rohingya people and the failure of regional governments to provide safe and legal pathways for asylum.”

Regional Response and Calls for Action

The Malaysian government said it would cooperate with Thailand and international agencies in identifying the victims. Humanitarian organisations are calling for survivors to be granted protection rather than detention, as Malaysia does not officially recognise refugees.

Advocates from the Rohingya Cultural Advocacy Centre in Canada condemned the ongoing neglect. “Every time another boat sinks, it reminds the world that stateless people are being forced into the sea because no nation will take responsibility,” the centre said in a statement.

A Continuing Crisis

More than a million Rohingya remain stateless, confined to refugee camps or displaced within Myanmar, where renewed conflict has worsened conditions since the 2021 military coup. With few legal options, many pay smugglers to cross the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, a journey that often ends in tragedy.

As rescue teams search for the missing, the latest disaster adds to the mounting death toll of Rohingya lost at sea, underscoring the urgent need for regional cooperation and lasting solutions to one of the world’s longest-running refugee crises.

But we cannot confirm this until we have completed our investigation.