Boat passengers to be required to wear life jackets

[Thaivisa News]

Bangkok:- To step up measures to protect passengers, the Harbor Department plans to amend three laws to require tourists and passengers to wear life jackets on both river and sea boat trips.

Nat Jabjai, deputy director general of the Harbor Department, said the department is about to amend the laws so that it can issue a new directive to make life jacket wearing compulsory throughout trips.

Once the directive is announced, passengers who use all types of public transportation boats on the sea and river as well as long-tailed boats on the rivers will be required to wear life jackets or else the boats will not be allowed to leave piers, Nat said.

Boat operators who fail to makes sure that their passengers wear life jackets will face penalties that have yet to be determined, Nat added.

He said passenger boats on the Saensaeb Canal, Chao Phraya shuttle boats, and dinner river cruise boats will be exempted from the compulsory life jacket wearing rule. But the boats will be required to prepare adequate life jackets or floating foam pads for passengers.

“Earlier, passengers are asked to voluntarily wear life jackets. But from now on, it will be compulsory for them to wear the jackets. There will also be penalties meted out,” Nat said.

He said the new rule is necessary because boat travelling is getting more popular.

He said his department will amend the navigation on Thai waters act of 1913, the Thai ships act of 1938 and the act to prevent boat crashes of 1979 to empower the department to issue the new rule.

[fritzzz25]

How about the Common Sense Act? Or will that one have to wait for another 65 years to be implemented....

[bkkjames]

Why are the up river taxis given the special treatment?

[smutcakes]

Although this is not altogether a poor idea, it seems a little over the top.

They would probably be better spending their efforts examining the sea worthiness of vessels, capability and training of pilot/crew (including blood alcohol/drug levels) ,ensuring max capacity of vessels are adhered to and possibly even look at designating proper shipping lanes in busy tourist areas like Pattaya and the islands and Phuket where there is a lot of high speed boat traffic (If this is not already done).

If the above are carried out and enforced properly, then really there should not be a need to wear life vests all the time, and only when it is deemed necessary under certain circumstances by the capable and trained crews.

[cornishcarlos]

How about requiring Captains to be both competent and sober ??

That might lower the casualty rate...

I can see it now, passenger refuses to wear life jacket, so crew throw them over board No fine for the vessel operator as they are not on the boat....

[jaidam]

A dangerous and silly idea. Modern lifejackets inflate on contact with water. Passengers inside a boat will be unable to escape and will drown, aside from being uncomfortable the entire trip. Air transport prohibits wearing lifejackets during normal flights for this very reason.

[Local Drunk]

Better require water wings for anyone Asian swimming in the oceans or pools as well as nets outside the balconies of any farangs living above the third floor.

[prakhonchai nick]

A dangerous and silly idea. Modern lifejackets inflate on contact with water. Passengers inside a boat will be unable to escape and will drown, aside from being uncomfortable the entire trip. Air transport prohibits wearing lifejackets during normal flights for this very reason.

You are probably correct re MODERN lifejackets. But who said that the river and sea transport companies would be investing in modern jackets. Most likely they will buy up a job lot of many thousands of 30/40 year old jackets!

[petedk]

A dangerous and silly idea. Modern lifejackets inflate on contact with water. Passengers inside a boat will be unable to escape and will drown, aside from being uncomfortable the entire trip. Air transport prohibits wearing lifejackets during normal flights for this very reason.

You are probably correct re MODERN lifejackets. But who said that the river and sea transport companies would be investing in modern jackets. Most likely they will buy up a job lot of many thousands of 30/40 year old jackets!

Agree. Most life jackets here are made of nylon (or something similar) and stuffed with polysyrene foam pads.

[Brit_Doggie]

Ok flying home next week will i get a parachute or am i allowed to hold the pilots hand incase he bails out first.

[richard_smith237]

This isn't a bad idea.... but its a lazy attempt at a solution to a problem, bypassing the issue rather than solving it.

However, as has been mentioned, better ideas are overlooked because they involve too much effort.

Ensuring the seaworthiness and licensing of vessels, ensuring the Captains / Pilots have the correct licences and training. Ensuring transparency through this process, ensuring those in charge of vessels are not under the influence (random testing) would go a long way towards solving any issues along with the wearing of life-vests (when in open vessels)...

Instead the laziest solution has been found.... like all lazy solutions, it may not be a bad solution, but it certainly isn't the best or right solution.

[Fullstop]

Boat passengers to be required to wear life jackets

Hanging off the back of a bumpy baht bus with no helmet or seat-belt is still OK though.

[bangkokfrog]

A dangerous and silly idea. Modern lifejackets inflate on contact with water. Passengers inside a boat will be unable to escape and will drown, aside from being uncomfortable the entire trip. Air transport prohibits wearing lifejackets during normal flights for this very reason.

Do you really think we will see modern life jackets... or the cheapest possible rip-offs (just like the useless plastic motorbike helmets on sale everywhere) !!!

Also, is this like the law that long distance bus passengers must wear seat belts. They are fitted, but even on VIP buses I have never been asked to wear one.

Edited April 21, 2015 by bangkokfrog

[Bsd]

"Once the directive is announced, passengers who use all types of public transportation boats on the sea and river as well as long-tailed boats on the rivers will be required to wear life jackets or else the boats will not be allowed to leave piers, Nat said."

So once this is put in place, does that mean I would have to wear a lifejacket while sitting in the air-conditioned room on a 1000 ton vehicle ferry? I know that the ferry smokes and has rust on it but I am sure it is not likely to sink anytime soon (and anything that it hits will come off second best).

[robertthebruce]

Why are the up river taxis given the special treatment?

Because they overload there boats and a tragedy would never occur ????

[thaibeachlovers]

How about the Common Sense Act? Or will that one have to wait for another 65 years to be implemented....

Common sense

In Thailand I see m'bike riders wear a crash helmet to the police checkpoint and once through remove them. Truly mind boggling.

[thaibeachlovers]

"Once the directive is announced, passengers who use all types of public transportation boats on the sea and river as well as long-tailed boats on the rivers will be required to wear life jackets or else the boats will not be allowed to leave piers, Nat said."

So once this is put in place, does that mean I would have to wear a lifejacket while sitting in the air-conditioned room on a 1000 ton vehicle ferry? I know that the ferry smokes and has rust on it but I am sure it is not likely to sink anytime soon (and anything that it hits will come off second best).

If you mean the Samui/ Phangan ferries, you'd better hope they don't sink as the "inflatable" life rafts probably don't work. I doubt they've been inspected since the rust buckets were sold off from ?China as probably being too unsafe to be used.

[johnbarpic]

How many lives would have been saved previously if this rule had been implemented before!!!! the general weekend tourist tripper is not drilled in donning a life jacket on occasions there is to little time to do so.

On the small ferries whats the problem of putting on a jacket just in case for a short duration. A recent trip to Koh learn the captain of the ferry insisted all passengers were wearing a jacket before setting off. Or do we adopt I am only going to Koh Larn a mile or two same as the car I dont need a seat belt I am just going down the road.

The most precious gift nature gives us life,, no charge its free to maintain it is the cost. Lets promote the thought of ''Safety by choice not by chance''

How many people who actually catch these ferries can swim !!!!!

I conduct incident accident investigations for a living the amount of times I hear well I was going to but decided not too!!!! I was only just!!!

The poster who mention the self inflating type they are only used for boat crew or people trained to operate them if they were to fail to inflate. all other times it isa PFD type ''personal flotation device''

[Somtamnication]

This will happen when pigs soldiers fly.

[Pomthai]

What about charter yachts? Having diner underway with a life jacket on? Get real. Silver service crew wearing life jackets too? This is about as knee jerk as banning alcohol on all the trains due to that one horrific incident.

[bkkheat]

I remember my first year in Thailand I asked the captain to drive the ferry, he is ok and even let me park it, but with his help ofcourse. The other passengers looked really scared lol.

But it was a lot of fun.

[Boatfreak]

and what life jacket will they be, what you find here in the store is a joke. Better inspect the boats and ensure they are not floating coffins.

[cooked]

About a year ago I was in the cabin of a boat with only one exit, they made us wear life jackets. (Many of us took them off after setting off). I didn't feel at all comfortable about the boat only having one exit and the fact that a life jacket slows down movement didn't reassure me at all. Buy an amulet.

[Bluespunk]

"He said passenger boats on the Saensaeb Canal, Chao Phraya shuttle boats, and dinner river cruise boats will be exempted from the compulsory life jacket wearing rule.'

Why?

[emilymat]

So, they are amending a 102 year old law. Took a bit of time then!

[bkkheat]

"He said passenger boats on the Saensaeb Canal, Chao Phraya shuttle boats, and dinner river cruise boats will be exempted from the compulsory life jacket wearing rule.'

Why?

Cant eat with a lifejacket on.

[kurce]

"He said passenger boats on the Saensaeb Canal, Chao Phraya shuttle boats, and dinner river cruise boats will be exempted from the compulsory life jacket wearing rule.'

Why?

Because on the Saen Saeb there are enough floating objects to cling on to should the need arise.

[seancbk]

Although this is not altogether a poor idea, it seems a little over the top.

They would probably be better spending their efforts examining the sea worthiness of vessels, capability and training of pilot/crew (including blood alcohol/drug levels) ,ensuring max capacity of vessels are adhered to and possibly even look at designating proper shipping lanes in busy tourist areas like Pattaya and the islands and Phuket where there is a lot of high speed boat traffic (If this is not already done).

If the above are carried out and enforced properly, then really there should not be a need to wear life vests all the time, and only when it is deemed necessary under certain circumstances by the capable and trained crews.

ROFL!!

[samsensam]

just as well they exempt the river and canal boats.

could you imagine how long it would take for all passengers to put on and take off life jackets when they got on and off the boat?!

[simon43]

Why?

Because on the Saen Saeb there are enough floating objects to cling on to should the need arise.