LIFEGUARDS will begin to disappear from Phuket's beaches with the ending of the current contract that provides protection for swimmers at popular west coast destinations.
Tourists accustomed to seeing the red and yellow caps of lifeguards and to swimming within safe zones may have to save themselves this weekend if they get into difficulties.
Blame Catch 22 for the disappearance of the lifeguards: the contract for protecting the beaches has to be put out to tender on an annual basis, to guard against corruption.
But the annual tender means that the Lifeguard Club of Phuket, whose contract expires tomorrow, finds it virtually impossible to retain skills and expertise gained by the year-on-year approach.
Recommendations by Australian water safety experts that the contract should run for two or three years have yet to be endorsed by the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation, which lets the contract annually.
''We have done the best we can,'' said Prathayut ''Nut'' Cheryon, who has headed the group that won the 10-month contract and put lifeguards on Phuket's main beaches from April last year.
Under the 9.9 million baht deal, each of 13 Phuket beaches has been manned by a total of 83 lifeguards.
Improved lifeguard training has seen the number of drownings on Phuket reduced to 37 deaths in 2010 compared to 57 in 2009.
But low pay rates and lack of continuity from year to year make the annual tendering process too testing, even for people who are committed to making Phuket's beaches safer.
One Phuket water safety expert said today: ''It will be a great shame if all the training and skills that have been developed over the past year go to waste.''
An international beach holiday destination without lifeguards? That's the prospect for Phuket once the present contract ends.
Khun Nut remains reticent today to even bid to sign on again if the contract is only for one year.
The Kata-Karon local administration has taken the issue into its own hands and hopes to make sure those two beaches - considered the most dangerous on Phuket in the monsoon season especially - remain protected.
Other local administrations may be forced to take similar action unless the contracts issue can be resolved quickly.
Phuket Builds Own Reefs to Ease Dive CongestionTourists accustomed to seeing the red and yellow caps of lifeguards and to swimming within safe zones may have to save themselves this weekend if they get into difficulties.
Blame Catch 22 for the disappearance of the lifeguards: the contract for protecting the beaches has to be put out to tender on an annual basis, to guard against corruption.
But the annual tender means that the Lifeguard Club of Phuket, whose contract expires tomorrow, finds it virtually impossible to retain skills and expertise gained by the year-on-year approach.
Recommendations by Australian water safety experts that the contract should run for two or three years have yet to be endorsed by the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation, which lets the contract annually.
''We have done the best we can,'' said Prathayut ''Nut'' Cheryon, who has headed the group that won the 10-month contract and put lifeguards on Phuket's main beaches from April last year.
Under the 9.9 million baht deal, each of 13 Phuket beaches has been manned by a total of 83 lifeguards.
Improved lifeguard training has seen the number of drownings on Phuket reduced to 37 deaths in 2010 compared to 57 in 2009.
But low pay rates and lack of continuity from year to year make the annual tendering process too testing, even for people who are committed to making Phuket's beaches safer.
One Phuket water safety expert said today: ''It will be a great shame if all the training and skills that have been developed over the past year go to waste.''
An international beach holiday destination without lifeguards? That's the prospect for Phuket once the present contract ends.
Khun Nut remains reticent today to even bid to sign on again if the contract is only for one year.
The Kata-Karon local administration has taken the issue into its own hands and hopes to make sure those two beaches - considered the most dangerous on Phuket in the monsoon season especially - remain protected.
Other local administrations may be forced to take similar action unless the contracts issue can be resolved quickly.
Reef Project Phuket is hoping to soon have two new artificial reefs off the popular west coast to ease the pressure on natural reefs created by tourism and coral bleaching.
Phuket Builds Own Reefs to Ease Dive Congestion
Elephant Rampage North of Phuket: 'One Dead, Tourists Injured'
Breaking News Two male elephants fight over a female on a tourist trek through Khao Sok National Park north of Phuket, with one Swiss woman trampled to death and other tourists injured.
Elephant Rampage North of Phuket: 'One Dead, Tourists Injured'
Phuket Tourist Drowns in Wedding Eve Horror
Breaking News UPDATE A night of fun came to a tragic end for six friends when one of them failed to emerge after a dip in the dark at Bang Tao beach. Drowned was a British man, aged 35.
Phuket Tourist Drowns in Wedding Eve Horror
Time's Up: Patong Mayor Posts Warning on Touts
Latest Three large billboards have gone up in Patong warning tourists that time share and holiday club deals can be bogus or misrepresent products. The move is being hailed as a breakthrough.
Time's Up: Patong Mayor Posts Warning on Touts
Jungceylon Link in Phuket Laguna Beach Resort Deal
Latest The equity fund that owns Phuket's Jungceylon shopping complex has done a deal to give it ownership of the Laguna Beach Resort, one of seven Laguna Phuket properties.
Jungceylon Link in Phuket Laguna Beach Resort Deal
No great loss. Like everything else here in Phuket, you serve a term of office, don't do much, then leave.
Why do Panda bears make good lovers..... 'cause they eat shoots and leaves. Ha Ha Ha.
Posted by GrahamM on February 24, 2011 14:16