Phuket gains 60 volunteer lifeguards
Tanyaluk Sakoot


The 60 volunteer lifeguards and their trainers.

PHUKET: -- Phuket has gained an additional 60 lifeguards following the completion of their training at the beginning of this week.

The 60, made up of hotel staff and business persons, underwent five-days of taining which was provided by Australia's major water safety, drowning prevention and rescue authority Surf Life Saving.

Speaking to The Phuket News, president of the Phuket Lifeguard Club, Prayut Cheuyuan, said, “The Phuket OrBorJor (Provincial Administration Organisation) continues to provide lifeguards for all 13 beaches around Phuket. This training programme was for volunteers who wished to be trained and volunteer to be lifeguards on the beaches.”

Vice president of the Phuket OrBorJor, Sakchai Choawai, added, “We want the lifeguards on Phuketʼs beaches to have a positive image on the islandʼs tourism industry.

“To provide these volunteers with the training they require to rescue and help people is very important, and i hope that the knowledge they have gained will help them should they need to use it in a real life situation.”

Last year Phuketʼs lifeguard saved 299 lives, 233 foreigners and 66 Thais. Since January this year 104 have been saved, 78 foreigners and 26 Thais.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-gains-60-volunteer-lifeguards-53255.php

-- Phuket News 2015-07-17

Last year Phuketʼs lifeguard saved 299 lives, 233 foreigners and 66 Thais. Since January this year 104 have been saved, 78 foreigners and 26 Thais.

Any help to reduce the lost of life by drowning is good news, so long as those volunteers are suitably-trained and recognise the limits of their abilities ==> don't drown whilst trying to save another life.

I wonder what the stats are for the number of drownings last year and this. anyone have this data at hand?

For my side, (and a subject close to my heart), it is also important to educate both Thai and foreign tourists about the potential dangers of the sea, (rip currents, snorkeling when you cannot actually swim etc).

The better this education of tourists is BEFORE they enter the sea, then the number of times that lifeguards and volunteer lifeguards have to risk their own lives to effect a rescue should also be reduced.

It's such bullshit they will not hire full time professionals for this job.Puket gets so much revenue from hotel tax and sales tax. They are just cheap. They should be held criminally responsible for each and every drowning. They know their beaches have strong rip currents

And still they let tourists die. Very very wrong and its also criminal.

have they checked there visa's. retirement no can do any volenteer work!!(oh, how that s--ks). trying to help the community and are not allowed to.

Bloody good on them, being a volly in a different field i have nothing but admiration for them.

Well done Phuket Lifeguard Club ! Being a lifeguard or a life saver (the title used in Australia), you have joined an international fraternity. Be safe.

It's such bullshit they will not hire full time professionals for this job.Puket gets so much revenue from hotel tax and sales tax. They are just cheap. They should be held criminally responsible for each and every drowning. They know their beaches have strong rip currents

And still they let tourists die. Very very wrong and its also criminal.

Just remember, Life Savers in Australia are all volunteers. None are paid. And there are thousands all around the country. Only the Beach Inspectors, who work for the local county councils, are paid. And this has been the rule since the formation of the world's first life saving club at Bronte Beach, Sydney, Australia, in the very early 1900's. Bondi Surf Life Saving Club started a year later.

Generally Life Savers are a family thing. Starting of at an early age as a Nipper, and progressing through to full Life Saver after obtaining the Surf Bronze Medallion. I am a third generation Life Saver.

It's such bullshit they will not hire full time professionals for this job.Puket gets so much revenue from hotel tax and sales tax. They are just cheap. They should be held criminally responsible for each and every drowning. They know their beaches have strong rip currents

And still they let tourists die. Very very wrong and its also criminal.

Just remember, Life Savers in Australia are all volunteers. None are paid. And there are thousands all around the country. Only the Beach Inspectors, who work for the local county councils, are paid. And this has been the rule since the formation of the world's first life saving club at Bronte Beach, Sydney, Australia, in the very early 1900's. Bondi Surf Life Saving Club started a year later.

Generally Life Savers are a family thing. Starting of at an early age as a Nipper, and progressing through to full Life Saver after obtaining the Surf Bronze Medallion. I am a third generation Life Saver.

There is a lifeguard contract in place so the beaches do have full time paid lifeguards. New Zealand has similar condition as Oz with volunteers at weekends & paid lifeguards during the weekdays of summer holidays (I did it for several years along with volunteer duties).

It would be great to have a thriving volunteer service in place here through clubs with regular inter club competitions. They are good fun & provide a healthy lifestyle outlet considering organized sport here is quite minimal apart from football games which hardly get a mention except for the Thai premier league. There are no inter school competitions in place for any sports apart from the annual athletics.

They saved 299 lives last year!

The drowning death toll must have been horrendous before these guys started on the beaches.