Contract Expired: No More Lifeguards At Phuket Beaches

[webfact]

Phuket beaches left unguarded

Tourists on Phuket beaches now have no lifeguards to protect them.

Photo: Pimwara Choksakulpan

PHUKET: -- The Phuket Lifeguard Club's contract to protect the island’s beaches expired on Friday, leaving tourists to swim unprotected in seas that claimed many lives last year.

On Saturday, staff removed their equipment from the beaches.

The 9.9-million-baht contract to guard the beaches is put out on an annual tender, which critics claim is too short a period of time.

As yet it is unclear whether Phuket Lifeguard Club will bid for the tender to provide the service again this year.

From April 26 last year, the club says it saved 1,064 foreigners and 285 Thais from drowning on the 13 beaches it patrols.

It was unable to prevent 13 deaths: two in Surin, one in Kata, one in Nai Thon and nine in Karon, Phuket’s most dangerous beach.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-02-28

[LivinginKata]

Premier beach tourist destination - what a joke. How difficult is it to place contracts out to tender and award in time for the previous contract to end. TIT at it's best.

[dude007]

not enough baksish in return for the contract?

[BigBikeBKK]

There are lifeguards at Phuket beaches?

I surf Kata, Kata Noi and Naiharn every season but don't recall ever seeing a life guard at any of these beaches...

[dude007]

It has been told that from now on the tuk-tuk clan will take care of the safety along the beaches as many of them have however nothing to do the whole day long... No need for tendering: service free!

[MongerSEA]

This may actually make the beaches safer by removing the false sense of security these underqualified poseurs enabled. Witness the numerous reports from recent years of Phuket "lifeguards" refusing to go out because conditions were "too rough". Like most things in Thailand, a case of appearance over substance to trick the unwary.

[LivinginKata]

There are lifeguards at Phuket beaches?

I surf Kata, Kata Noi and Naiharn every season but don't recall ever seeing a life guard at any of these beaches...

I walk along Kata beach most morning and I have noticed quite a few young guys with yellow shirts with lifeguard written in red on back carrying these float things. Also 2 rubber boats/ with outboards by the lifeguard tower.

[David006]

from observation at new years....fox guarding the chickens came to mind...no binoculars..towers un-mannned, no lifesaving gear no rope drums /belts/ RIBS/surf skis/jet skis/radios....a la Aussie beaches..jet ski rental cowboys out of control in swimming areas...better off without 'em methinks

[LivinginKata]

from observation at new years....fox guarding the chickens came to mind...no binoculars..towers un-mannned, no lifesaving gear no rope drums /belts/ RIBS/surf skis/jet skis/radios....a la Aussie beaches..jet ski rental cowboys out of control in swimming areas...better off without 'em methinks

They did have RIBS, rope drums, radios, floats at Kata Beach, and just today I noticed that there were bouyed off areas for swimmers at Kata Beach. I thought that this past high season had the best equipped lifeguards I had even seen. Although I have no idea how well trained ...

[exbelg]

excuse me, but do they pay those ripp off jetski runners a lump sum to so called-ly protect the swimmers? as i remember not seeing one of them last time overthere

commen sense and thailand, does not really rime a lot of times

[cooperspale]

"leaving tourists to swim unprotected in seas that claimed many lives last year.."

with all the alleged deaths last year no wonder they have had the boot!

This may actually make the beaches safer by removing the false sense of security these underqualified poseurs enabled. Witness the numerous reports from recent years of Phuket "lifeguards" refusing to go out because conditions were "too rough". Like most things in Thailand, a case of appearance over substance to trick the unwary.

[VictorOne]

Premier beach tourist destination - what a joke. How difficult is it to place contracts out to tender and award in time for the previous contract to end. TIT at it's best.

Not to mention that many surf life guards in many western countries provide their services on a voluntary basis. And they would be a thousand times more competent than these goons.

[blackthorn2005]

There are lifeguards at Phuket beaches?

I surf Kata, Kata Noi and Naiharn every season but don't recall ever seeing a life guard at any of these beaches...

I have seen them on Patong Beach, in the watch towers, usually asleep.

[moskito]

Typically THAILAND, show the tourists what you really think about their safety. They just give a fkcu....

May be they should bring up something like an arrival fee on the airport for safety, Obviously Phuket doesnt make enough Tax out of the tourism, or mostly the tax disapears in somebodys pockets for building useless bus stations without busses or jettys without boats.

[doggie888888]

Just have signs on all beaches..."We can't organise ourselves to have lifeguards. Do you trust us with your lives anyway?"

[silp1979]

There are lifeguards at Phuket beaches?

I surf Kata, Kata Noi and Naiharn every season but don't recall ever seeing a life guard at any of these beaches...

they were sitting in the shade to hot at the beach...take care out there, they have a lot of itchy stuff in the seawater there as well

[asiawatcher]

This is a joke right? Tourist destination beaches with no Life Guards? Ok - April Fool - you're early!!!

[dunkin2012]

Ain't go to Puket then. There're many places you can swim with more or less the same beauty. Samed, Samui, Chang and Pattaya.

[CosmicSurfer]

Ain't go to Puket then. There're many places you can swim with more or less the same beauty. Samed, Samui, Chang and Pattaya.

Bondi, Bali, California, Florida, Wakiki, Tahiti....

CS

[SouthernMan3]

This may actually make the beaches safer by removing the false sense of security these underqualified poseurs enabled. Witness the numerous reports from recent years of Phuket "lifeguards" refusing to go out because conditions were "too rough". Like most things in Thailand, a case of appearance over substance to trick the unwary.

Yea great.

Let's just have no lifeguards world wide.

Wouldn't want people to have someone there to help them when they have problems now would we.

Now that's sound thinking, huh ?

[SouthernMan3]

Not to mention that many surf life guards in many western countries provide their services on a voluntary basis. And they would be a thousand times more competent than these goons.

Very falang thinking.

If you didn't know, many people here fall into the category of 'must work to eat !'

[Deeral]

of course - once Thailand has got your money the TAT et all couldn't give a flying <deleted> what happens to their customers - a somewhat short-trm and blinkered outlook but reflected in many aspects of Thai attitude to customers.We've already seen a change in demographics as the country has had to look round for new, less discerning customers so why bother with things like life guards when you can get away without?RThailand used to be an exotic destination, then it became cheap and cheerful, now it is just cheap......and even that is wearing thin.

[SouthernMan3]

I suppose that no one read or noticed this quote :

"From April 26 last year, the club says it saved 1,064 foreigners and 285 Thais from drowning on the 13 beaches it patrols.

It was unable to prevent 13 deaths: two in Surin, one in Kata, one in Nai Thon and nine in Karon, Phuket’s most dangerous beach."

[koto]

Not to mention that many surf life guards in many western countries provide their services on a voluntary basis. And they would be a thousand times more competent than these goons.

Just maybe instead of always badmouthing the Thais all the fing time, take it upon ourselves when we are out playing in the surf or "wherever"

be a tad more alert and helpful rather then just talking the talk, if more of us walked the walk rather then trying to change everything just pitch in, if we happen to be there at the time of need.

There was many places in Hawaii without lifeguards, I have pulled out a few, some drown even where there are lifeguards, one should make sure that there are warning signs stating this, in Thai English and Russian with a picture so all understand.

Remember changing thing to much, can make it like where we came from, then where do we go! They ruined Hawaii

"They" meaning Haole's, here it's Farang's same thing different word.

[fred110]

Ain't go to Puket then. There're many places you can swim with more or less the same beauty. Samed, Samui, Chang and Pattaya.

At Pattaya I see the towers/stands, but have never seen a lifeguard on them. Only tourists taking photos.

[blackthorn2005]

"The 9.9-million-baht contract to guard the beaches is put out on an annual tender, which critics claim is too short a period of time"

If it is an annual contact, why has it expired already and not on 25 April?

"From April 26 last year, the club says it saved 1,064 foreigners and 285 Thais from drowning on the 13 beaches it patrols."

1064 + 285 = 1,349 divide this by the number of days in the 365 = 3.69. So, if I have got this right, we can expect nearly 4 casualties on the beaches every day that they remain unmanned, including an unknown number of fatalities.

If you get a tuk tuk to the beach, who does not assault you, you can cross the road without getting run over by the speeding taxis and minibuses and the jet ski operators do not carve you up, you will drown. Welcome to LOS = Land Of Scams.

[happysanook]

I suppose that no one read or noticed this quote :

"From April 26 last year, the club says it saved 1,064 foreigners and 285 Thais from drowning on the 13 beaches it patrols.

It was unable to prevent 13 deaths: two in Surin, one in Kata, one in Nai Thon and nine in Karon, Phuket's most dangerous beach."

and we all know that Thai stats are always very close to the truth.

i would be shocked to find out it was more than 1/5th of what they quoted.

[LivinginKata]

I suppose that no one read or noticed this quote :

"From April 26 last year, the club says it saved 1,064 foreigners and 285 Thais from drowning on the 13 beaches it patrols.

It was unable to prevent 13 deaths: two in Surin, one in Kata, one in Nai Thon and nine in Karon, Phuket's most dangerous beach."

and we all know that Thai stats are always very close to the truth.

i would be shocked to find out it was more than 1/5th of what they quoted.

That's about 4 or 5 per day. I would say that's a very low number for 13 beaches. Don't know why you would question those stats.

[naboo]

That's about 4 or 5 per day. I would say that's a very low number for 13 beaches. Don't know why you would question those stats.

So you would estimate a beach with no lifeguard is going to see, on average, 2.5 deaths per week, or 130 deaths a year? You've been watching too much Baywatch!

Claiming to have saved 1350 lives in a year is slight exaggeration. If not, we'll be hearing of 4 or 5 deaths on the beaches every day over the next few weeks!

[LivinginKata]

That's about 4 or 5 per day. I would say that's a very low number for 13 beaches. Don't know why you would question those stats.

So you would estimate a beach with no lifeguard is going to see, on average, 2.5 deaths per week, or 130 deaths a year? You've been watching too much Baywatch!

Claiming to have saved 1350 lives in a year is slight exaggeration. If not, we'll be hearing of 4 or 5 deaths on the beaches every day over the next few weeks!

Let's look back at the original quote and your response ...

I suppose that no one read or noticed this quote :

"From April 26 last year, the club says it saved 1,064 foreigners and 285 Thais from drowning on the 13 beaches it patrols.

It was unable to prevent 13 deaths: two in Surin, one in Kata, one in Nai Thon and nine in Karon, Phuket's most dangerous beach."

and we all know that Thai stats are always very close to the truth.

i would be shocked to find out it was more than 1/5th of what they quoted.

All I am trying to say is that I find it quite reasonable that 1,349 people had some sort of swimming difficulty in about one year throughout the 13 beaches on Phuket Island. That's equivalent of about 1 rescue/beach over a 3 day period. Sound a very realistic number to me given the number of rescues I've seen just on Karon and Kata beaches. Perhaps you would give a qualified reason why you consider the figure to be exaggerated by a factor of 5 ??