News by Phuket Andaman Villas

Resort hotels located on the popular west coast area of Phuket will be asked to contribute in increasing security level on the beach to prevent swimming tourists drowned during thew summer season. Believing that education is a significant part to achieve the objective, resort hotels will be asked to inform their guests about the dangers and ways to avoid them in at least six languages.

The plan of involving resort hotels in the campaign was discussed between lifeguard commander Prathayut Cheryo and president of Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation Paiboon Upatising. After five months absence, Phuket has the lifeguard restored. However presence of lifeguards is not all it needed to achieve the objective.

Latest statistic recorded five death drowned in beaches around Phuket in April alone, quite a high number compared to 10 deaths in traffic accidents in the same period. Prathayut Cheryon promoted the importance of the same level in awareness both on the roads and in the water. Lifeguard service in Phuket beaches has been recently restored on April 26th. “We will be happy to go to schools to help teach and train the children,’ he said.

Improvements are being made to lift Phuket lifeguard standards to match those of Australia and California.

Many life-taking incidents during the previous summer period – between April and October – involved foreign visitors who came to Phuket for beach holiday without being properly informed about the seasonal underwater current which becomes deadly during the period. Similar risk also affect local children who are rarely taught to swim.

The newly restored lifeguard force is expected to promote and protect swimming-safe area on all Phuket beaches. However language barrier remains in place as it is difficult to inform foreign tourists – ho do not understand Thai – about the risk of going out for beach swimming in certain periods.