Deputy Transport Minister tells local officials to increase safety in the area
Deputy Transport Minister Phong Chiwanan meets
with coastal and city authorities to promote plans for “cooperation to
maintain water safety.”
Thanachot Anuwan
The Transport Ministry has declared the entire Chonburi coastline a
“safety zone” hoping to prod local municipal and Marine Department
officials into working harder to stem the tide of deadly boat accidents.
Deputy Transport Minister Phong Chiwanan met with coastal and city
authorities from Pattaya, Sattahip, Sriracha and Koh Sichang at the
Discovery Beach Hotel Sept. 23 on plans for “cooperation to maintain
water safety.”
Despite its grandiose name, the “marine safety zone” offers no new
protections or regulations for ocean-going travelers.
The laws are already on the books. They simply aren’t
being enforced. At the public meeting, the minister urged local
authorities to do their jobs more prudently and check boat
seaworthiness, the availability of safety gear, and increase punishments
for violations.
As always, of course, actual enforcement of the rules will be the
responsibility of the government, district chiefs, mayors and marine
police. And that, Phong implied, has been the problem.
A long-running issue, safety issues have seen a resurgence in recent
months with two major and several minor boating-related accidents that
have cost the lives of three tourists and injured - some critically -
dozens more.
On Aug. 28, two Chinese tourists died and eight were injured when their
speedboat crashed into an anchored longtail boat off Bali Hai Pier. The
boat driver, now arrested, steered his twin-engine craft too close to
the empty glass-bottom boat, snagging its anchor line, causing it to
smash into the longtail and eject half the passengers.
A Polish woman was killed by a speedboat propeller in January in Jomtien
Beach and a Thai taxi driver swimming in Najomtien had his throat cut by
a boat prop in May. And in April, 18 South Korean tourists and two
guides were hurt in a speedboat collision off Koh Larn. One victim had
to have part of his leg amputated.
Since April, local officials have held numerous press
conferences to announce new marine-protection centers and regulations,
but little has come of it. Phong’s appearance in Pattaya seems aimed at
spurring some actual results, as the parade of dead and maimed tourists
is taking a toll of Thailand’s tourism industry.
Phong blamed accidents on two main causes: drivers and seaworthiness.
With nearly every accident in recent years, officials have found that
captains have driven recklessly, been speeding, sped through high-risk
areas and overcrowded their vessels. As for seaworthiness, unlicensed
boats or vessels in bad repair have too often been involved in
accidents.
Marine officials, Phong said, are not doing enough to catch these
violations before they cause accidents.
Marine Department officials pointed fingers at Chonburi’s governors of
Pattaya, Sattahip, Banglamung, Koh Sichang and Sriracha, saying they’ve
been given powers to inspect boats as well. Under the new plan, Marine
Department officers will tutor local law enforcement on proper
inspection routines.
Sornsak Saensombut, Marine Department director-general, said training
will cover general regulations, supervising, maintaining and controlling
waterborne traffic; integrating public- and private-sector efforts;
creating awareness of safety issues; and reforming laws to be consistent
with development.
