Phuket’s, " Summer Season "; 30 + Drowning Deaths

Thwe March – October monsoon winds cause horrific rip tides, unfortunately life guards are lax, if present at all and warning signs are left up year round…
A local realttor decided to ‘ Rebrand this slow season as summer, many tourists were completely unaware it is too dangerous for swimming on the west side beaches.

Sign found at Phuket’s dump . . .
Sign found at Phuket’s dump . . .
Photo by phuketwan.com
Let Phuket Rip: No Action As Drownings Mount

By Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian
Friday, January 8, 2010
THE Phuket Provincial Administative Organisation is calling for tenders for professional lifeguards on the island’s most popular tourist beaches.

Because the organisation has to follow Thai regulations in seeking someone to operate the service, the island’s beaches have been without lifeguards since mid-November.

At least one young Thai boy has died on a beach without lifeguards in that period.
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Online applications for tender for the lifeguards close on January 13. On January 29, the tenders will be reviewed.

If there are no applicants, as is the situation at present, the tender process will be extended by 10 days each time until there is an applicant.

Ayut Banglung, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the organisation, said: ”We have had no applications so far and we are required by law to follow a set process.”

He said the local tessaban councils should be providing safety protection on the beaches in the period until a new professional service is in place.

Equipment for beach rescues, including surfboards and inflatable boats, has also been taken from the beaches because its removal is consistent with Thai law. Even the red warning flags have been repossessed.

Local beach people on Phuket are mostly horrified at the lack of protection for tourists and residents alike. While some people are capable of advising when and where to swim, they have no rescue equipment.

A 10-year-old boy became Phuket’s first beach fatality of 2010 when he drowned at Nai Harn beach on the New Year’s Day holiday while on a family picnic. An eight-year-old boy narrowly avoided the same fate.

Drownings for the island for 2009 reflect the high toll in the water, which is now dramatically out of proportion to the road toll.

To the end of November, Phuket had 137 road fatalities and 53 drownings, figures totally out of kilter when the numbers who use the roads are compared with those who swim or work on the water.

Several of the victims were tourists caught in strong ”rips.” In some cases, family members have called for tourists to boycott Phuket or for government travel warnings until beach safety becomes a priority, especially during the dangerous monsoon season.

Australia’s much-admired lifesaver system evolved after a tragic day at a beach when four children from the same family drowned. The family, on a picnic outing, wrongly believed that the beach was protected by lifeguards.

Phuket Drowning: ‘Where’s Max? Where’s Max?’
New Year Tragedy A young boy who survived the tragedy that killed a friend at a Phuket beach asks: ‘Where’s Max? Where’s Max?’ The island should be asking, ‘Where are the lifesavers?’
Phuket Drowning: ‘Where’s Max? Where’s Max?’

Phuket Beach Holiday Tragedy: Young Boy Drowns
Photo Album Phuketwan knows these photos will shock. But a young boy’s death by drowning on a New Year’s Day holiday is a shocking thing, especially on a beach holiday island.
Phuket Beach Holiday Tragedy: Young Boy Drowns