Inspections, increased regulation set for sea-walker companies following tourist’s death

PATTAYA:--The Marine Department plans to inspect a dozen unregulated companies offering “sea walker” diving trips in Pattaya.

At an April 26 meeting with Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh, Marine Department of Ship Standards Thongchai Pongvichai said his staff will check the operation and equipment used by tour operations selling diving trips in which customers walk on the sea floor using surface-supplied air.

He also plans to meet with operators to regulate where they operate so the zones can be protected by buoys. Currently, he said, the operators hop around from zone to zone depending on marine conditions.

The checks by the Marine Department come after an Indian tourist died during an excursion off Koh Larn. The fatal incident - not the first in Pattaya - again shone light on an industry that even Pattaya officials publicly admit has operated for a dozen years without any real regulation.

- See more at: http://www.pattayamail.com/localnews/inspections-increased-regulation-set-for-sea-walker-companies-following-tourist-s-death-37221#sthash.XyeWEwMt.dpuf

-- Pattaya Mail 2014-05-03

And will the persons doing the inspections know their stuff???