PHUKET, 9 May 2013 The Marine Department has reported on its progress in establishing a water traffic control system for Phuket province, saying that it has already tasked a company to set up locator beacon receivers to pinpoint vessels’ positions under a 15 million baht budget.
Marine Department official Sakhon Pukham said in a Phuket meeting to address improvements to facilities for boats and ships that the GPS coordinates receiving antennas will be erected at 3 locations on the island. These comprise Chalong Bay, Patong district and Thalang district.
Once the boat locating system is ready, all yatchs that enter Phuket waters must report to the vessels control center at Chalong Bay, where they will be assigned a coordinates transmitter that must be kept on board. Once the yatchs wish to leave Phuket, the yatch owners must return these locator beacons to collect the deposit made upon borrowing the equipment. This system will provide traffic controllers with the whereabouts of each yatch.
Mr. Sakhon added that the Marine Department had also ordered the designing of a barrier to protect waves from crashing onto yachts moored at the mooring area in Chalong Bay. The mooring area, with the capacity to accommodate about 44 yachts under 60 gross tons, is expected to start servicing yacht owners by mid-2015.
Around 3,000 yatchs visit Phuket province each year. Once those aboard the vessels report to immigration, the yatchs usually head on to park at the several private marinas in Phuket.
