The fishermen, from the southernmost province of Ca Mau, were detained on January 2 for allegedly violating Thailand’s territorial waters, said the ministry.

They are currently being held in custody at a police station in Thailand’s Trat province.

The Thai ministry agreed to allow a representative from the Vietnamese embassy in Thailand to make a consular visit to help the fishermen.

Earlier, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in the Cambodia province of Siem Reap on January 11, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh made a direct mention of the case to his Thai counterpart Surapong Tovichakchaikul,.

The Vietnamese embassy in Thailand is actively working with relevant Thai agencies and taking necessary citizen protection measures to seek a solution to the case.

The ship sank after being hit by a foreign ship on January 2 with 11 members on board. Its captain was rescued by another fishing boat.

VNS