Phuket Publicity

[khall64au]

It's amazing how a potential tragedy escaped virtually unnoticed locally - while once again Phuket hits foreign headlines for all the wrong reasons. One news event, so many versions:

SA hero in ferry rescue

KATE KYRIACOU

April 29, 2007 12:15pm

A HOLIDAYING Adelaide firefighter has been hailed as a hero after he helped almost 80 people leap to safety from a blazing ferry as it sank off the Thailand coast this week.

In the dramatic incident, 22 Australians were among those forced to jump into the water when the engine of the Jet Wave 3 ferry exploded in flames as it approached Phuket's Phi Phi Islands on Tuesday morning.

Passengers told how people ran screaming as flames engulfed the boat within minutes, burning life jackets and melting chairs.

From their Phi Phi Island resort, Whyalla nurse Belinda Brereton told the Sunday Mail how the cool-headed fireman, Nathan Berry, paired strong swimmers with those less capable as the burning vessel started to sink on its approach to Phi Phi Don.

"When the fire broke out a lot of the tourists panicked; they couldn't speak much English and they didn't know how to swim," she said. "Nathan stood up and said, `Everybody will be OK but don't grab anything – just get a life jacket and jump'.

"Up until then people were just standing there in shock while the seats melted and paint bubbled off the walls."

But Mr Berry, 28, a firefighter of four years based at Wakefield St, city, said he was only doing what any other emergency services worker would have done.

"I did a quick size-up, realised what kind of fuels were around, and figured the boat was going to go up really quickly," he said.

"I had a quick look for fire extinguishers but there weren't any."

Mr Berry said he did not think there would be enough life jackets for all the passengers, so he gathered those who could not swim and handed out various flotation devices.

More: http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0...54-2682,00.html

02 May 2007

Four survive ferry sinking in Phuket

Whyalla News

One South Australian family will not forget their 30th wedding anniversary. Their holiday in Phi Phi island in Thailand ended in terror when their ferry sank.

Four Whyalla residents had a lucky escape when their holiday turned into a nightmare last Tuesday.

Rob and Belinda Brereton and their friends Chris and Michael Richards were travelling on a ferry from Phuket to the Phuket Phi Phi Islands in south east Asia on Tuesday when the engine on the Jet Wave Three Ferry burst into flames.

According to the Brereton's son Leigh, his parents first noticed a small amount of smoke coming from the cabin before it started bellowing out.

"From what I can tell from what they said ... it was a matter of a couple of minutes and it (smoke) was bellowing out of the cabin," he said.

According to Leigh at first nothing happened as a language barrier prevented crew from communicating with the passengers.

Then an Adelaide firefighter took charge, pairing people up and preparing them to jump into the water.

"They reckon it was really, really quick," Leigh said.

Within a short time of jumping off the ferry into the water, the entire vessel was engulfed in flames.

"The boat was completely engulfed and people were jumping off left, right and centre."

Mrs Brereton told the Sunday Mail yesterday that the ferry was still moving when people began jumping from it.

"The captain hadn't turned the engine off so the boat was still moving when people started jumping off," she said.

More: http://bendigo.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp...ategory=general

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Engine fire sinks Phi Phi ferry

PHI PHI ISLANDS: More than 100 tourists were safely rescued by the Krabi Marine Police today after a fire broke out on the ferry they were taking from Phuket to Koh Phi Phi Don.

Phuket Marine Police Officer Lt Col Prathueng Srilamontree identified the vessel as Jet Wave 3, which departed from Rassada Harbor in Phuket this morning bound for Koh Phi Phi Don.

As the vessel was rounding the Maya Bay area of Koh Phi Phi Lei about 11 am, a fire broke out in the engine room.

Frightened passengers rushed to the bow of the 32-meter vessel, where they waited until a number of speedboats dispatched by the Krabi Marine Police came to their rescue.

More:http://www.phuketgazette.com/news/index.asp?fromsearch=yes&Id=5652

[Robski]

Well the guy really is a hero, or at least obviously the type of person you need in an emergency.

So he got praise in the international press, but not in the local press send them a letter and demand this guy gets his due

recognition.

[khall64au]

Well the guy really is a hero, or at least obviously the type of person you need in an emergency.

So he got praise in the international press, but not in the local press send them a letter and demand this guy gets his due

recognition.

The point is -apparently: NO fire extinguishers, NOT enough lifejackets, NO emergency-trained staff... did the 'authorities' respond in a timely manner or were the tourists left to save their own lives under direction from a trained fellow-tourist?

Questions remain. Phuket's tourist ambassadors need to quickly ascert the answers - especially following the events of 2004 - in order to assure that all is well in this part of the tourism world!

The Phuket - Phi Phi ferry caught fire and sunk.... thankfully, nobody died!!!!

[Robski]

Oh that's the point to the story, as this is Thailand we are talking about my mind automatically switched off from the need for lifesaving equipment, a rescue service, an accountable and organised crew or even maintainence to the vessel which probably caused the incident in the first place.

The lack of replies to this thread would, I guess, indicate that other members also feel that the possibility of death from a normal excursion is part and parcel of being in Thailand, wether it is by plane, car, boat, bus or even on foot.

For most of the passengers who are probably only on a short vacation it will go down as a holiday nightmare and for the long term residents apathy at the state of Thailand will make them see this as just another terrible occurence in a long catalogue of incidents and feel powerless to change something that the Thais are themselves unwilling or unable to change themselves.

[smartecosse]

what a suprise .............

an unsafe vessel on thai waters

at least no one died but you got love how it was "Thais to the resuce" in the thai paper

[khall64au]

Forgive me for raising the issue again - but, perusing the forum I noticed that in the Samui section: "Ting Tong bar burns down" to date has attracted 25 comments whereas a serious issue such as "PHI PHI FERRY CATCHES FIRE AND SINKS" barely raised a murmur.

I can't believe that nobody has a point of view here .... What's with the apathy/ disinterest in discussion? "What if" your own family and friends were on board?

[madmitch]

Forgive me for raising the issue again - but, perusing the forum I noticed that in the Samui section: "Ting Tong bar burns down" to date has attracted 25 comments whereas a serious issue such as "PHI PHI FERRY CATCHES FIRE AND SINKS" barely raised a murmur.

I can't believe that nobody has a point of view here .... What's with the apathy/ disinterest in discussion? "What if" your own family and friends were on board?

Maybe it's the same apathy/disinterest shown by the Thai press.

This should have been the Gazette's major story of the week with full coverage. At least it was mentioned, whereas I think the story was completely overlooked by the Nation and the Bangkok Post.

I believe there are deliberate cover-ups of certain events that they don't want to get into the public domain too easily. A couple of divers have allegedly not returned this year from the Thai run boats, a kid drowned at Kata Beach over Songkran, yet the press has reported nothing.

We all know Thai boats are often unsafe and every time there is a reported incident there are false claims that safety will be improved. In the past couple of years off the top of my hed I can think of the Pattaya/Koh Larn, Samui/PhangNgan and Phuket/Koh incidents as well as the one above. There must have been more.

Until the Thais and other developing nations actually take safety procedures in all areas of life seriously, these incidents will sadly continue. And that's a long way off.

[taxexile]

Forgive me for raising the issue again - but, perusing the forum I noticed that in the Samui section: "Ting Tong bar burns down" to date has attracted 25 comments whereas a serious issue such as "PHI PHI FERRY CATCHES FIRE AND SINKS" barely raised a murmur.

khall64au , we have these stories regularly , coach crashes , car accidents , motorcycle accidents , ferry sinkings drownings etc.etc.etc. and we can vent our frustrations but the authorities just dont seem to care enough.

by posting these stories , at least tv members and readers will be made aware of thailands abysmal record on safety for the tourists it invites and welcomes here , and hopefully those involved in journalism related to tourism can do what they can to publicise some of these stories .

but as we all know , in thailand , it you cant see it , it just doesnt exist

[khall64au]

Forgive me for raising the issue again - but, perusing the forum I noticed that in the Samui section: "Ting Tong bar burns down" to date has attracted 25 comments whereas a serious issue such as "PHI PHI FERRY CATCHES FIRE AND SINKS" barely raised a murmur.

khall64au , we have these stories regularly , coach crashes , car accidents , motorcycle accidents , ferry sinkings drownings etc.etc.etc. and we can vent our frustrations but the authorities just dont seem to care enough.

by posting these stories , at least tv members and readers will be made aware of thailands abysmal record on safety for the tourists it invites and welcomes here , and hopefully those involved in journalism related to tourism can do what they can to publicise some of these stories .

but as we all know , in thailand , it you cant see it , it just doesnt exist

Great to see that local media - Phuket Gazette- has finally followed up this story since the incident received fair coverage in Australian media with photos and accounts from survivors on lack of safety issues and zero staff action. Alas, no online version but outcome is:

- Ferry owner answered no emails from journalists.

- no charges laid due to lack of evidence, which lays on seabed with sunken vessel.

- TAT (Southern region 4) says the incident will have no effect on tourism as no complaints were received; however, TAT Governor is considering ways to improve safety standards for passenger ferries serving tourists.

[donna]

im sorry to say, but i dont think that it WILL have an effect on tourism, but it should at least have an effect on the lack of safety standards in this country.

having traveled on many different types of ferries in thailand, i have made a few observations:

there ARE lifejackets on board, but probably only enough for the LICENCED number of passengers (if that). i doubt very much whether staff on board are trained in safety procedures should an incident happen (god, half of them are kids anyway) so the likelyhood of complete chaos is pretty high.

some ferries have life rafts. one ferry i was on in surat thani had tags for when the next inspection of the raft would be - that was two years ago. the rafts were also locked up with rusty padlocks, so in the event of a sinking, the chance of getting them out would be quite slim i expect.

fire fighting equipment? pahlease! the boat is on the water. plenty of water around! why would you need this?

i was in thailand when the fire occurred. barely a ripple. i was also in australia when news of the fire hit the headlines. BIG story.

maybe the attitude is 'nobody die. mai pen rai'?

[goldfish]

For most of the passengers who are probably only on a short vacation it will go down as a holiday nightmare and for the long term residents apathy at the state of Thailand will make them see this as just another terrible occurence in a long catalogue of incidents and feel powerless to change something that the Thais are themselves unwilling or unable to change themselves.

This will have an effect on tourists, but only on the 'quality' tourists. There will be some tourists, the kind thailand are trying to attract, who will be put off by this. The same kind who were put off by someone losing a 500,000 baht ring in an airport scanner or... the list just goes on and on.

Every incident like this has an effect and before long thailand will be ingrained in peoples psyche as too dangerous as a quality tourist destination. Thailand, as we all know, will not react until it is too late. Until the boat has already sunk