PHUKET: Bus crashes, speedboat strandings, one death, many injuries, much anger . . . it's been a very bad week for tourism safety on Phuket.

The Russian tourists on board the bus that crashed on Wednesday soon after they arrived at Phuket airport for their holidays can thank their lucky stars there were no deaths.

The Chinese tourists who crashed four days earlier were not so fortunate. A woman was killed and the injuries among those passengers were more serious.

Phuket road transport authorities must provide a full and adequate report as to the causes of these smashes.

Phuket's future as an international tourism organisation depends on all the island's authorities taking responsibility.

Everybody on Phuket knows how bad some minivan drivers can be - and indeed there was also a minivan crash last weekend in which two Koreans were injured, one seriously.

What caused these crashes? Was it mechanical failure, too much speed, or carelessness? Russian, Chinese and Korean envoys should be demanding answers.

Just when it appeared the week could not get any worse for tourism safety on Phuket, a speedboat taking 66 tourists on a day-trip to Phi Phi broke down on its way back to Phuket.

Did the speedboat run out of fuel? Is it true that there were not enough life jackets for all those on board?

Was there an absence of care on the part of the organisers? Is the boat's captain properly qualified?

Phuket authorities also need to answer all of those questions. Why?

Because bus crashes and speedboat strandings are a sign that people aren't doing their jobs.

When tourists come to Phuket, they place their faith in the Phuket authorities to ensure their holidays are safe.

Tourists are carefree people. When you're on holiday, you expect everything will go well. You trust the people who take your money to give you a good time. You pay to feel safe and secure.

Here's what tourists had to say about the Phuket speedboat stranding:


TOURIST A: ''There were plenty of children on board who were scared and sick and lots of people that were very agitated. There weren't enough life jackets, no two way radios, no flares and a single fluorescent light which eventually died.''

TOURIST B: ''It was an absolute nightmare.''

TOURIST C: ''Our children were crying and being squashed. The tug boat then pulled up beside our boat and people started to scream as everyone was panicking we were told to jump to the other boat our kids were ripped out of our arms and thrown to the other boat. I was then pulled over and then my husband jumped over as well. We finally made it to shore. The tour guide and crew hid on the roof of the boat the whole time and didn't help at all.''

Phuket's tourism industry needs people who are trained to do their jobs properly. Phuket's tourism industry needs people who show proper care and take responsibility.

And most importantly, Phuket needs authorities who do their jobs and maintain proper safety standards. Phuket's future rests on authorities doing the right thing.

Detailed reasons for all these potential catastrophies should be reported in full at November's meeting of the Phuket honorary consuls with Phuket's Governor.