A
handful of Korean tourists model the new life jackets as tour employees
prepare to hand out hundreds of the safety devices during the day.
Manoon Makpol
Looking to assure tourists that Pattaya’s waters are
again safe, a major area water sports and transport company is welcoming
their Korean tourists to the beach with lifejackets and a safety
briefing.
About 20 staffers from PJ Speed Boat - which offers
ferry service to Pattaya’s islands as well as underwater scooters,
banana boating, parasailing and jet ski rentals - met the group from
Hanatour March 3. They handed out lifejackets and instructed the
visitors safety and emergency procedures.
Owner Raewat Jindasakchai said island tourism and
sports suffered in the past year after a string of well-publicized
accidents, including incidents where Asian tourists were victims of boat
sinkings. Combined with fears over Thailand’s political unrest, tourism
revenue from Chinese and Korean customers has fallen from a high of 10
million baht a month a couple of years ago to less than 3 million baht a
month now.
However, he said, tourism is recovering and his
company is back to 120 employees, down only 30 staffers from its peak.
Korean interpreter Kem-Ung Man said South Korean
tourists are very conscious of safety and comfort. In order to win that
trade back, he said Pattaya businesses will need to improve their safety
record.
