Phuket provincial deputy vows, ‘No gap in lifeguard coverage next year’

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Phuket provincial deputy vows, ‘No gap in lifeguard coverage next year’
Tanyaluk Sakoot


Lifeguards off Kata Beach. Phuket News file photo.

PHUKET: -- A deputy president of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (OrBorJor) has promised that, next year, the arrangements for a new beach lifeguard contract will be made much earlier, in order to avoid a repeat of this and years when Phuket’s beaches have been unguarded for as long as two months.

This year lifesavers from the Phuket Lifeguard Co, under contract to the OrBorJor, stopped manning the beaches when the company’s contract ran out on March 27. It was not until May 20 that they went back on the beaches.

Deputy president Soratham Jinda told The Phuket News today, “I admit that previous lifeguard contracts for a couple of years were signed late. We recognise that we should not have been late again this year (2015). We plan to start the process earlier next year.”

He said that this year the signing was complicated by the the National Council for Peace and Order being in charge of the country, which required the OrBorJor to send the project to the Governor for approval.

“It will not happen again. For next year, we will work faster and send all the documents to the Provincial Council four months earlier than we did for this year’s contract. That way the budget can be submitted in September this year and approved by November.

“We will also have our staff complete the preparation of the contract faster than last year. We can then sign the new contract the day after the old one expires.

“The OrBorJor President, Paiboon Upatising, cares for Phuket people and tourists.

“We have a plan to cooperate with hotels located on beaches. We will ask them to support our lifeguards with their own. That will things safer.

“The Kata Thani Resort [on Kata Noi Beach] has already joined our project. I hope many others will work with us for the safety of tourists.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-provincial-deputy-vows-no-gap-in-lifeguard-coverage-next-year-52476.php


-- Phuket News 2015-05-26

[lee b]

Yeah sure..Last time I was on Patong beach a small Korean kid got taken out with the under current, I shouted at the life guard for help but he was more interested at looking at the parachutes being dragged along by speed boats ( sorry forgot what its called ), So I had no choice but to swim out and save him myself !

I got the young lad back to the beach after almost dying myself, only to see that the lazy sod had not noticed a thing! Oh how i don't really trust them anymore...

[Praematura]

They could take any supposed life guards from Jomtien/Pattaya as water is fetid and no one with sense swims in it. Photo from yesterday at Jomtien beach.

[casualbiker]

Or just do 2 year contracts!

[Ulic]

Thailand, big on promises, short on delivery. We shall see what happens next year but probably

the same as every year and there will be a couple of months of no lifeguards.

[Traveling Sailor]

Thailand, big on promises, short on delivery. We shall see what happens next year but probably

the same as every year and there will be a couple of months of no lifeguards.

Yup! Same as, "We'll fix it so there won't be any flooding next year", "We'll fix it so there won't be any {fill in the blank} next year". Smoke, smog, drought, corruption, road deaths, etc. ad nosium.

[steelepulse]

I was at Kata yesterday and there was a large number of surfboards for rent, contrary to what was declared to be a "no commerce on the beach" zone. The people renting out the boards were in lifeguard

uniforms, so perhaps a "deal" was made so these lifeguards could supplement their incomes. I'm all for having well trained and compensated lifeguards on the beaches, but I find it a bit dubious that it has to be

this way to earn a decent salary.