Australian dies in Thailand jet ski crash

BANGKOK: A 21-year-old Australian woman was killed in a jet ski crash after she collided with her boyfriend off the coast of Thailand's Phuket island, police said today.
The woman, identified as Emily Collie, was brought to the shore of Kata beach after the accident on Sunday but was pronounced dead soon after, senior police officer Patiwat Yodkwan told AFP.
"People on the beach tried to rescue her and send her to a hospital," he said, adding her partner was not seriously injured in the accident.
He said police are waiting for an autopsy to determine exactly how the woman died.
"We are still investigating the cause of the accident. The boyfriend is in mourning and crying, so we cannot ask him much."
Tourism is a crucial pillar of Thailand's economy, but accidents involving travellers are common amid lax and often weakly-enforced safety regulations.
Yet the dire safety record has not deterred travellers from visiting, with Thailand welcoming a record 32 million tourists last year. — AFP