News Analysis
PHUKET: More questions are likely to be asked about the sinking last week of a speedboat between Phuket and Phi Phi and the narrow escape of the Australian tourists on board.
Coast-to-coast coverage across Australia of the near-tragedy put Phuket tourism in a bad light this week as the returning tourists gave their accounts to the country's largest selling newspaper network and the national broadcaster.
The Aussies - eight family groups visiting Phuket as members of the Banyule Cricket Club - have described their nightmare at sea on a day outing to Phi Phi in full, with one father saying: "When your daughter is grabbing your arm when you are jumping in saying 'don't let me die', it is certainly something I will never forget. It was horrible."
The intimate accounts of the sinking, first reported on Phuketwan, came only days after a vicious attack on a Phuket resort owner at an after-hours pub bar in Phuket City.
Vorasit ''Wan'' Issara told us later that his attackers thought he was a Korean. Hollywood actor Jeremy Renner narrowly escaped the real-life attempted murder action, so the incident carried Phuket's name around the world - for all the wrong reasons.
Both cases require a full follow-up on the part of Phuket authorities.
Phuket's new Police Commander, Major General Chonsit Wadhnawarangkun, will almost certainly warn all other night venues on the island that they must abide by the law and not allow deadly weapons on their premises.
But who will follow up on the near-tragedy experienced by the Aussie tourists on their day trip from Phuket to Phi Phi?
Will anyone be held responsible?
It's highly likely that a recent campaign by Marine Office 5 to make sure all vessels carry lifejackets ensured there were enough to go around on the sinking speedboat when the Australian tourists and their young children needed them on Thursday.
And through a stroke of good fortune, the boat of Prestige Divers was within sight of the stricken speedboat and managing director Micha Hildner did the right thing by plucking the frightened tourists from the water, then watching the speedboat sink.
But who will take the matter further? Who will reassure Australia that tourists can be guaranteed of the utmost safety on day-trips between Phuket and Phi Phi, and elsewhere on vessels around the region?
Phuripat Theerakulpisut, Chief of Phuket's Marine Office 5, told Phuketwan that because the speedboat sank in the neighboring waters of Phang Nga province, it was ''not my area.''
Just a few weeks ago, when a Russian tourist was hit by a speedboat propeller while swimming at Phuket's popular Kata beach, Khun Phuripat told us that those kinds of calamities were ''natural.''
The driver of the speedboat was not reprimanded and the Russian tourist was left to languish in hospital, without compensation.
We know that the Marine Office is concerned about safety at sea - they recently apprehended a ferry running from Koh Lipe to the Satun mainland for carrying too many passengers.
But questions remain. Major General Chonsit will do his utmost to restore the reputation of Phuket's nightlife as being less than dangerous.
But who will restore Phuket's reputation among tourists - especially those from Australia and Russia - for properly protecting tourists at sea?
Phuket tourism doesn't deserve to experience that sinking feeling ever again.
Ed, why don't you enquire about the other four speed boats that sank during the same week but never managed to make the headlines???
Posted by George on January 9, 2012 10:57
Editor Comment:
Who do you suggest we call, George?