Thailand not seen as safe tourist destination until it fixes problems: Weerasak

By JINTANA PANYAARVUDH 
THE NATION

 

File photo

 

TOURISM and Sport Minister Weerasak Kowsurat yesterday urged agencies to sort out a series of problems before they can send a convincing message to the world that Thailand is still a safe destination for tourists. 
 

Weerasak was responding to the Phoenix boat accident that killed 47 Chinese tourists earlier this month off the southern resort island of Phuket. 

 

There are many issues that authorities should review and rectify to help improve tourists’ confidence in Thailand as a safe destination, Weerasak told The Nation in an interview. 

 

He said authorities should complete the first phase of the process by paying all compensation that is due to the relatives of victims and return them to their country.

 

Authorities should then try to figure out what happened to the boats by retrieving the wreckage for inspection. Concerned agencies should collect statistics nationwide about boat accidents and study international standards for tour boats that can be compared to Thailand. 

 

He also urged authorities to explain that the cause of the accident was not related to so-called zero-dollar tours or nominee ownership in tourism. “[People] should not generalise. We should be sympathetic to those who lost their loved ones. Money cannot bring them back,” he said. 

 

He also urged authorities to speed up the completion of a safety standards manual to improve confidence. 

 

“If we can manage all the issues we then can send a single, convincing message to the world, the Chinese, and local people and ask them to have confidence in us,” he said. The number of Chinese tourist visitors to Phuket has dropped sharply in the wake of the tragedy. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30350270

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-18

 

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

There are many issues that authorities should review and rectify to help improve tourists’ confidence in Thailand as a safe destination

Thailand has not been classed as a safe tourist destination for quite a while, well before the boat tragedy.

The main issue with a lot of potential visitors is the corruption, right through the system, starting at the top, with fear of no justice should any problems arise. 

Well the buses and minivans are also very dangerous....good luck.

The big question is, will they put to sea in bad weather and if so, who is making the decision. A skilled seaman or a money hungry big man? 

What is a safe tourist destination? Chicago? London? Paris?

 

I'll take my chances in Thailand.

My opinion is that security for tourists is not enough. The tourist can not be calm that all the tour guides, or all the staff of the boats really watch for one. Last year I went in January and July in southern Thailand.
In January on an all-day tour of phi phi, the boat left me in the water snorkeling and by chance I realized that this was my boat, because there were three boats from the same company. In an area without a beach in front of large rocks. more than 10 meters deep. I had to shout, signaling them to come back for me.
The issue is that after that, the ship's crew recognized that they did not count the passengers. And after me they started doing it. at the next stop they left a tourist in phi phi because he did not get to the boat and they called him by phone. The tourist never showed up. It is not known if something happened to him there or he fell asleep ...
In July at Koh Tao, on an all-day excursion, snorkeling around the island. At the end of the day in Shark Bay, all the people scattered in the bay looking for sharks and turtles. It started to rain, storm, the sea got choppy and crossed currents. And thanks to a buoy that I found, I started asking for help. a member of the crew without a vest came to look for me. I really feared for my life, because I did not know if that was going to be THE BIG STORM and I was holding onto a buoy. After a while the guide came  for me, with other tourists that he found scattered in the bay, and all together swam to the boat. A ship passed by and made signs to help us, and the guide said No.
Then all in the middle of a storm where nothing was seen at all, a large curtain of water falling without stopping. With the choppy sea and the current that kept us away from the ship, we managed to return.

The issue here is, tourists are experts in getting out of a sea in the middle of a storm? Are they trained?

The boat could not come looking for us because it violates the law of coral protection. And where is the law that establishes the rescue protocol for people trapped in the sea by a storm? NONES. 

 

Thailand has its problems . But shooting there own foot seems to be the biggest problem of all.

If ding dong did not make that statement that its the chinese fault . Everything would be buisness as usual. We know that because chinese tourists die here every day. But if you insult 50 familys on the same day its youre own foolish fault.

It looks like this accident will be the one to get some results in the marine transport . But what will it take to get results from bus transport. I suggest they take this same action with the buses and mini van transport. I feel they are far more deadly to all.

In some respects Thailand is pretty safe and certainly secure, but in many cases it is dangerous and lawless as some of the most notorious scams have been going on for decades and have been shown to have the authorities in cahoots in orchestrating them.

Example in point, the jet ski scams, where a nice cop will come along and negotiate a lower fine rather than bust the people who are threatening violence on others. The general safety seems ok, but on islands such as those in the Samui archilpelago the problems are not so much safety, more justice when people have been raped, robbed, killed or whatever.

 

Those in uniform are tainted because it seems that the bad apples outnumber the good considerably. This will dent confidence undoubtedly

I think a storytelling competition would be a great solution to this dilemma...……...Tell us just how great a tourist destination this place is. Just don't mention boats, highways, busses, minivans, ladyboys, cops, caves...…...etc.....You get the picture!

Meanwhile on the roads over sixty people are killed DAILY (some of them tourists) because there is no policing.  Any comment on that Mr Weerasak?

Thailand has been unsafe for years!

 

Lawless. Lack of health and safety. Corruption. Extortion. Greed. Two tear pricing for foreigners. Lack of respect...

 

Look at the over-head power cables in the streets and roads, lack of road management, driver skills and so on.

 

One reason why tourists choose to visit Thailand, is mainly for the sex industry, which is supposedly illegal, but tolerated because it generates revenue via fraud corruption and extortion.

 

Says it all... Money, not life, is more important!

Edited July 18, 20187 yr by Sonhia
Mistake

I thought the uncertain was part of attraction. You never know what's going to happen. Was there ever a time Thailand was ranked as a safe destination for tourists? 

2 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

What is a safe tourist destination? Chicago? London? Paris?

 

I'll take my chances in Thailand.

Yes me too but when talking about safe management systems if thats the road they want to go down they are decades behind the rest of the world. Roads, construction, maritime I could go on and on nothing in Thailand is to world's best standards as far as safety goes. 

42 minutes ago, Wilsonandson said:

Yes, very true. I remember when the ferry sank in the British Channel. The 'herald of free enterprise' was it called? The Zeebrugge disaster. Tragic events happen all over the globe. In monsoon season the safety of passenger boats is always any boat captains priority. He's not suicidal. But, of course stricter guidelines on safety should be implemented. Better training and vessels should meet the required safety standards. But, this is Thailand where health and safety are not up to Western standards, yet.

Sent from my SM-A700FD using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

10 years ago my wife and I were on Koh Samet. At that time you paid the boat operator to take you to the Island and back, all you had to do was phone and they would send a boat. When the boat arrived my wife jumped on the platform at the stern and beckoned for me to get aboard. I took one look at the overloaded boat that contained no life jackets and refused to board. My wife was furious, we called, they came, why wouldn't I board. I told her that there was no way I was going to end up in the sea, telling myself that I knew I shouldn't have got on that boat. People have to use their own common sense occasionally.

52 minutes ago, Wilsonandson said:

Yes, very true. I remember when the ferry sank in the British Channel. The 'herald of free enterprise' was it called? The Zeebrugge disaster. Tragic events happen all over the globe. In monsoon season the safety of passenger boats is always any boat captains priority. He's not suicidal. But, of course stricter guidelines on safety should be implemented. Better training and vessels should meet the required safety standards. But, this is Thailand where health and safety are not up to Western standards, yet.

Sent from my SM-A700FD using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Yet? That's bloody hilarious. Are you saying that Thailand will eventually have world's best HSEQ and Safety management systems in place? 

28 minutes ago, Sonhia said:

Thailand has been unsafe for years!

 

Lawless. Lack of health and safety. Corruption. Extortion. Greed. Two tear pricing for foreigners. Lack of respect...

 

Look at the over-head power cables in the streets and roads, lack of road management, driver skills and so on.

 

One reason why tourists choose to visit Thailand, is mainly for the sex industry, which is supposedly illegal, but tolerated because it generates revenue via fraud corruption and extortion.

 

Says it all... Money, not life, is more important!

Really? Most tourists visit Thailand for the sex industry? That's the funniest thing I've heard all week. 2018 calling mate welcome to the future.

2 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

What is a safe tourist destination? Chicago? London? Paris?

 

I'll take my chances in Thailand.

Try Newquay in Cornwall or Phuket.or the French riviera or Pattaya....the uk,France,USA or Thailand.its the hub of tourists deaths and can't be touched.in fact the 3 countries you've mentioned put together wouldn't beat Thailand.

The only problem with Thailand's attitude to tourism is GREED, they have people with money BUT no brains controlling to much, the GREED problem.....

Said it before, and I'll say it again, one can't come to a third world country and expect first world safety standards. Years ago it was harder to be informed of the dangers and know what to avoid, but now with the www there is fb, other social media and countless online forums and sites, so there really is no excuse for not doing a bit of research and making your own decisions. Remember, a few high rises on Sukh and a couple of 5 star yoga retreats on Samui doesn't make this place a first world country.

All safety issues start with the human factor.

Can you be attacked by a Thai or group of Thais and the police will not help? Can you be knocked out or kicked in the face in front of a police officer and he will not do anything and let your attacker walk? Can a minivan driver drive like a madman without getting pulled over? Can a boat pack as many tourists inside as will fit without life jackets and take them out in a storm when told it was unsafe? Can serial killers live on Koh Tao and be protectrd by the police? Will the police round up thieving ladyboys but release them without a fine or a charge? Do Thais drive around like the criminally insane on bikes and cars? Will 99% of Thais run a pedestrian over without braking if they are in the way?

 

Yes. Yes to all this.

With the length of time that Thailand has been a world-wide desired tourist destination, it's shocking that these basic fundamentals of safety are still being discussed.

This guy is a breath of fresh air compared to the weeping Khunying Mitty he replaced. 

Let's hope he gets some traction. 

Thailand is a rough and ready destination once you leave your 4-5 star hotel.  Those splendorous confines that are available for as low as B1500 a night do not represent the turmoil that awaits outside.   The government should stop talking about "quality" tourists, as all tourists must face the same dangers once they leave their comfortable lodgings.   Thailand is no different than Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam.  Thinking differently only shows a lack of knowledge of the region. 

There are many threads containing many posts on this maritime disaster.

 

Some express hope and some believe it will bring about change.

 

Sorry if I don't share the optimism, sadly they just don't have what it takes to implement the necessary changes.

Have a look at the photo are those nobs concerned about tourist safety or the impact on their incomes?

 

Come back in 100 years when they just might have evolved out of their medieval feudal society.

Apart from the issues mentioned above, road safety and travel generally, the high level of chemicals and pesticides in food, as frequently mentioned in Thai University studies and by Thai doctors is, or should be, cause for concern. The levels of these 'additives' are far above European levels, and many are banned in Europe. Thai doctors advise all vegetables should be cooked before eating, (what about the fruit?)
One can be careful, attempting to make careful choices, regarding transportation, and other matters, but it is difficult not to eat the food.
As many Thais have told me, 'how do you know it's organic, just because it says so?'
Thais, far more than the tourists, most of whom will return to their home country before long, will suffer (to say the least) from this issue.
As with everything corruption along with lack of enforced regulations and strict consequences appears to be the problem.
Sadly, the general safety issues, as mentioned by others mentioned above will, until someone does something about, continue to spoil what, in many ways, is a wonderful country with many attributes.

4 hours ago, Thian said:

Well the buses and minivans are also very dangerous....good luck.

where do you begin and where do you end. the taxis are terrible, the tuk tuk drivers are a menace, the markets vendors are all out to make a quick buck. There are numerous instances of physical assault ( often by a group against an individual. all these areas need addressing.

3 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

What is a safe tourist destination? Chicago? London? Paris?

 

I'll take my chances in Thailand.

Try Australia, NZ & islands of the South Pacific.

 

No where is 'perfectly' safe, just that some are far more safe than others.

Edited July 18, 20187 yr by lvr181
Additional comment

Road safety is the direction that they should be looking at more than anything, for Thai and tourist benefits. 

Edited July 18, 20187 yr by Easy Come Easy Go

I feel safe in Thailand just walking around.  More thuggery in Oz.

3 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

What is a safe tourist destination? Chicago? London? Paris?

 

I'll take my chances in Thailand.

 

When was the last time someone in Chicago died from the pesticide fumes in their hotel room, or someone in London fell off a balcony because the railing was too low, or got hacked to pieces by a cabbie in Paris over a $1.60 fare dispute?