Thai Tourism Min to upgrade strategy for higher tourist safety

[webfact]

Tourism Min to upgrade strategy for higher tourist safety

BANGKOK, 28 October 2014 (NNT) – The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is joining hands with the Ministry of Transport to improve the current tourism promotion strategy, with more emphasis to be placed on the safety of travelers.

Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul revealed that the ministry is in the process of revamping the tourism strategy for 2012-2016 in hopes of creating a better image for Thai tourism. She elaborated that new measures will be adopted to assure tourists, both Thai and foreign, of more safety when using transport services in Thailand.

As one of the measures, the minister said the Transport Ministry will come up with a special type of life vests that will more effectively prevent boat passengers from drowning in case they fall into the water.

The new safety gear is expected to become available from November onwards and will mainly be distributed in destinations known for marine tourism, such as Phuket and Pattaya.

The Department of Tourism will also financially support the move by offering the new vests to boat service providers free of charge, in exchange for their old ones.

Furthermore, another program has also been planned to increase traveling convenience in major tourism provinces by improving the local public transport system.

The ministry is set to coordinate with the Ministry of Commerce in inspecting car rental services as well as taxi, van and boat operators in each area in a bid to make sure that they abide by laws and safety regulations.

-- NNT 2014-10-28

[clockman]

At least 10% of the country G.D.P. Comes from tourism. They get this wrong. Big trouble. The golden goose is dying.

[NeverSure]

It's always about "The image." Every time.

Tell ya what. Get your butts to a certain island and knock some heads together and straighten out some people who are above the law and I might begin to take you seriously.

[gerry123]

At least 10% of the country G.D.P. Comes from tourism. They get this wrong. Big trouble. The golden goose is dying.

The golden goose is dying DEAD

[JOC]

First wristbands and now lifewests!!

This touristminister makes Yingluck look like a genius!!

[jaltsc]

"The Department of Tourism will also financially support the move by offering the new vests to boat service providers free of charge, in exchange for their old ones."

That should save the Dept. of Tourism a lot of money. Considering there are no old vests to exchange. How about requiring Jet Ski operators to display signs describing : "How you know you are getting ripped off by businesses who prey upon tourists"?

"...more emphasis to be placed on the safety of travelers."

If we are talking about "Life Vests"...Perhaps it would be better to give each tourist entering the country a Kevlar vest and combat helmet to protect them against life threatening attacks. But then again, they would have to admit that these attacks occur in the first place.

Once again, the tourism industry is caught between a rock and a hard place.

Edited October 28, 2014 by jaltsc

[JOC]

It's always about "The image." Every time.

Tell ya what. Get your butts to a certain island and knock some heads together and straighten out some people who are above the law and I might begin to take you seriously.

The problem is, the henchmen you are asking for, are also above the law!!

[moonseeker]

Wow, these daily announcement getting ridiculous. Never witnessed anything even coming close in any of the countries I have resided in. MS>

[waynethor]

I guess those better-educated design engineers in more developed countries just haven't been able to make a worthwhile life vest yet, so it's up to the Thais to do it. Amazing!!!

On top of that, it will be such a wonderful thing that tourists will flock here and pile onto overcrowded ferries and other forms of water transport captained by untrained staff just for a chance to wear one. I'm very curious to see what engineering marvel will make them so superior to the other 100's of designs around the world.

What drugs do these people at the TAT take to come up with this crap?

Of course there's just more lip service about repairing the mafia-ridden and dangerous transportation service here with no real ideas. I wouldn't take a long-haul bus in Thailand for anything.

[JOC]

_{"and will mainly be distributed in destinations known for marine tourism, such as Phuket and Pattaya.}

_{So that is what Pattaya is famous for, its marine tourism!!}

Edited October 28, 2014 by JOC

[ginjag]

First wristbands and now lifewests!!

This touristminister makes Yingluck look like a genius!!

Maybe Yingluck spelt it like this. ---is it May West---West Life---

[Songhua]

' the Transport Ministry will come up with a special type of life vests that will more effectively prevent boat passengers from drowning in case they fall into the water.'

Yes, that is what a life vest is for. How about safety 'strategies' to eliminate the need for a boat passenger to ever need one 'in the water'?

[bapoboy]

good news to hear

[jaltsc]

' the Transport Ministry will come up with a special type of life vests that will more effectively prevent boat passengers from drowning in case they fall into the water.'

Yes, that is what a life vest is for. How about safety 'strategies' to eliminate the need for a boat passenger to ever need one 'in the water'?

Funny. That would mean they would have to thimk ahead

[chainarong]

Lets be Frank, Frank, if you are relying on the RTP to keep tourists safe they stand a better chance in a sand pit with Yellow and Red Vipers the chancers of tourists anywhere of running into heavy weather is all about what they are about and incidents happen everyday all around the planet , on a daily basis the casualty rate from Bali Indonesia would make you worry indeed, some days the tourists lot is not a happy one, regardless of the TAT attempt at safety.

[ParadiseLost]

How about preventing ferry operators from buying old retired craft from the likes of Korea/Japan - take a look at the car ferries plying the Donsak - Koh Phangan routes, if these rust-buckets are seaworthy I will eat one of the new 'improved' life jackets....

As an aside - will anyone look into who gets the contract to supply all these new flotation devices, and can they please explain what is wrong with the old ones - do the new ones 'float better'?

[stoffel45]

Improve standards with heavy penalties for those who break them.

All Police in every way.

All transport - land, sea and air.

Hospitals - safety and accountability.

[patricev]

"...a special type of life vests ..."

Wonder how much more they cost than the regular ones ... in Thailand that is?

[Jimbo2014]

They should save the life vests for the economy. Its going to need it more than tourists.

[arrowsdawdle]

I guess those better-educated design engineers in more developed countries just haven't been able to make a worthwhile life vest yet, so it's up to the Thais to do it. Amazing!!!

On top of that, it will be such a wonderful thing that tourists will flock here and pile onto overcrowded ferries and other forms of water transport captained by untrained staff just for a chance to wear one. I'm very curious to see what engineering marvel will make them so superior to the other 100's of designs around the world.

What drugs do these people at the TAT take to come up with this crap?

Of course there's just more lip service about repairing the mafia-ridden and dangerous transportation service here with no real ideas. I wouldn't take a long-haul bus in Thailand for anything.

Only the very finest home-gown fortune tellers.

[arrowsdawdle]

"...a special type of life vests ..."

Wonder how much more they cost than the regular ones ... in Thailand that is?

Ask the decision maker whose cousin Somchai invented the new life vests that are filled with rocks so they don't blow away in the wind when not being worn.

[Chris Lawrence]

Maybe just give the vest as you hop off the plane?

[OPG]

What has me worried, is that this situation is so easy to figure out, but the Thai Gov't acts like a 5 year old with solutions on how to make Thailand a better place.

The infrastructure is not up to par and the commercial licensing issue...well, this issue can be purchased, which makes it a bigger issue to tackle and the so-called Mafia who run tourist destinations, which include the Police force.

Start with:

1. Tackling the mafia and re-organizing the Police force

2. Once the Police force shows promise of heading in the right direction, put a larger presence along all major tourist spots.

3. Thai Gov't must invest in more police vehicles to protect the highways and act accordingly to the law (i.e. stop speeders without guessing how fast they were going, but with proper equipment etc...). Place strict and HIGH penalties for all commercial vehicles breaking the law on the highways with the possibility of impounding the vehicle and to make a strict policy that all commercial vehicles must drive on their lane.

4. Repair all traveling highways for safety purposes (means less deaths by accident).

5. Install more lighting in tourist destinations

6. Install a new train system with under cover marshal's on board

7. Place one under cover marshal on buses or "working cctv" on all buses to make sure the bus driver is not falling asleep or has gone rogue.

8. Thorough background checks on all commercial staff (i.e. train, bus, transport etc...)

9. Clamp down on all Licensing venues and make it more difficult to acquire your license.

10. Prostitution is actually illegal in Thailand, but it's everywhere and it's definitely not hidden. This will never stop, but why not make it legal and regulate it in some manner. This offers additional protection to the tourist.

11. etc...

You get the point, but all of this must be tackled to bring the situation to a point where making adjustments to actual tourism will work. Without the above and more, Thailand will only be spinning their wheels and never getting anywhere.

As a matter of fact, they will spend more money wasting precious time and solutions that may work temporarily, but in the end, all they are doing is putting a band aid on which will eventually come right off and they will restart again with another temporary solution.

Thailand has SO MUCH POTENTIAL, but a Gov't with lack of brains keeps the potential moving to every other Asian country.

Sad!

[DLock]

Thailand's new high tech manufacturing hub for new life jacket design.

[surangw]

will they be able to keep the terrorists in check down south ?

[heyexile]

What has me worried, is that this situation is so easy to figure out, but the Thai Gov't acts like a 5 year old with solutions on how to make Thailand a better place.

The infrastructure is not up to par and the commercial licensing issue...well, this issue can be purchased, which makes it a bigger issue to tackle and the so-called Mafia who run tourist destinations, which include the Police force.

Start with:

1. Tackling the mafia and re-organizing the Police force

2. Once the Police force shows promise of heading in the right direction, put a larger presence along all major tourist spots.

3. Thai Gov't must invest in more police vehicles to protect the highways and act accordingly to the law (i.e. stop speeders without guessing how fast they were going, but with proper equipment etc...). Place strict and HIGH penalties for all commercial vehicles breaking the law on the highways with the possibility of impounding the vehicle and to make a strict policy that all commercial vehicles must drive on their lane.

4. Repair all traveling highways for safety purposes (means less deaths by accident).

5. Install more lighting in tourist destinations

6. Install a new train system with under cover marshal's on board

7. Place one under cover marshal on buses or "working cctv" on all buses to make sure the bus driver is not falling asleep or has gone rogue.

8. Thorough background checks on all commercial staff (i.e. train, bus, transport etc...)

9. Clamp down on all Licensing venues and make it more difficult to acquire your license.

10. Prostitution is actually illegal in Thailand, but it's everywhere and it's definitely not hidden. This will never stop, but why not make it legal and regulate it in some manner. This offers additional protection to the tourist.

11. etc...

You get the point, but all of this must be tackled to bring the situation to a point where making adjustments to actual tourism will work. Without the above and more, Thailand will only be spinning their wheels and never getting anywhere.

As a matter of fact, they will spend more money wasting precious time and solutions that may work temporarily, but in the end, all they are doing is putting a band aid on which will eventually come right off and they will restart again with another temporary solution.

Thailand has SO MUCH POTENTIAL, but a Gov't with lack of brains keeps the potential moving to every other Asian country.

Sad!

"Start with tackling the mafia and reorganising police force". Who is going to do that?

Supreme Commander of Police (ie The PM) or his hand-picked appointee Police Commissioner General Somyot. Both a tad busy with Kao Tao right now

http://thaitribune.org/en/hot-issue/5886

[godden]

Hasn't helped the american guy on the beach, more Thai hot air.

[konying]

The sooner they realise the problem lies within great thai police, the less thinking and money would be wasted.

They can try to do everything but for as long as police does nothing to very little to being involved on the scams nothing will change.

Why would thireves stop to steal when police does nothing and if caught penalties are minimal .

Why would thugs stop to attack when the penalties are laughable.

Why would police stop to extort when there are no repocussions.

And all of the above with increasing insane high prices

[mca]

EXCLUSIVE - The latest TAT slogan with the emphasis on tourist safety.

" We've heard New Zealand's quite nice"

[namdocmai]

LAst weekend i took the tourist boat on the chao praya to asiatique. The boat was loaded totally full of passengers, they were standing jampacked in the walkway. I checked the lifevests which were only under the seats so the standing passengers had NONE.

The vest under my seat was a piece of foam with 2 straps. One has to put his arms through the straps and then can only swim with the legs and pray that the foam will keep him/'her floating. What a piece of crap.

Thailand and boats will never ever be a safe combination. They should do as in Korea where the captain of the sunken ferry got the death punishment, maybe then they will understand the importance of lifevests and not overloading boats.

Also it won't hurt if they teach the Thai how to swim. I allready have rescued a thai father from drawning on Samui.