PHUKET: The Governor of Phuket has backed attempts to find fuel for future sea searches by passing around the hat as questions continue to be asked about the quality of rescue operations off Thailand's main tourist coast.
The search for American diver Joshua Devine, 36, who disappeared from a dive boat on April 5, was interrupted for Thai New Year celebrations and hampered by limited fuel being available for a Marine Police boat, the only large vessel available for the search.
Told after 48 hours that Mr Devine was missing, the Royal Thai Navy quickly put up a helicopter for the first time.
Devine's sister, Jennifer Bakawski, and mother, Marie Major, flew from the US to Thailand on April 16 to assess the standard of the investigation and have now reported back to local American media.
''We went out there because my brother's wife was having a hard time getting someone to look for him,'' Bakawski is quoted as telling ctnow.com.
''We lost a day-and-a-half because [police] went back to the mainland [after searching the boat] and then the second day he was missing, officials said they couldn't look because of the holiday . . . we lost a pretty critical section of time,'' Bakawski said.
Marine Police have since confirmed that their monthly allowance of 2000 litres of fuel for searches is so pitifully inadequate that they expended their entire fuel budgets for April and for May on the search for Mr Devine.
Despite the huge amount of money that flows to Thailand from tourism along its Andaman coast provinces of Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga, it appears no proper provision for search and rescue has ever been put in place.
Debate about the efficacy of a pinch-hitting search and rescue service comes with no lifeguards patrolling on Phuket's main beaches just as the stormy monsoon season sweeps in - the most dangerous time of the year for swimming.
Despite being sold around the world as a safe year-round swimming destination, a dispute about contracts usually keeps lifeguards off Phuket's top 13 tourist beaches for several weeks each year.
The present no-lifeguards crisis has occurred several times, with no permanent solution being sought.
The search and rescue fuel shortage and the lack of lifeguards since March 27 highlight a remarkable lack of investment by Thailand in tourism marine safety.
Yesterday Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong underscored the lack of proper funding by asking several tourism-related agencies to help provide Marine Police with an adequate fuel supply if searches need to be mounted in future for tourists or Thai fishermen.
Lack of fuel also prevents the Marine Police and other local authorities from putting to sea to properly stop and question trawlers suspected of human trafficking and other infringements.
Three trawlers intercepted and checked in a display for the governor's benefit by various Phuket authorities yesterday were stopped and searched close to port.
The legacy of the loss of Joshua Devine appears to be exposure of flaws in provision of proper search and rescue off the Andaman coast. But the family of the diver, who worked in Kuwait as an IT contractor with the US Army, still hope he will be found safely.
''My seven-year-old knows that Uncle Josh is having an adventure,'' said Bakowski. ''And it kind of gives me hope that maybe he is having an adventure.''
Meanwhile, the family still want to talk to anyone who can tell them what happened on the dive boat in the final hours before Joshua Devine disappeared. Bakowski can be contacted through the Bring Josh Home Safe Facebook page or via email at jadunne3@yahoo.com.
The search for American diver Joshua Devine, 36, who disappeared from a dive boat on April 5, was interrupted for Thai New Year celebrations and hampered by limited fuel being available for a Marine Police boat, the only large vessel available for the search.
Told after 48 hours that Mr Devine was missing, the Royal Thai Navy quickly put up a helicopter for the first time.
Devine's sister, Jennifer Bakawski, and mother, Marie Major, flew from the US to Thailand on April 16 to assess the standard of the investigation and have now reported back to local American media.
''We went out there because my brother's wife was having a hard time getting someone to look for him,'' Bakawski is quoted as telling ctnow.com.
''We lost a day-and-a-half because [police] went back to the mainland [after searching the boat] and then the second day he was missing, officials said they couldn't look because of the holiday . . . we lost a pretty critical section of time,'' Bakawski said.
Marine Police have since confirmed that their monthly allowance of 2000 litres of fuel for searches is so pitifully inadequate that they expended their entire fuel budgets for April and for May on the search for Mr Devine.
Despite the huge amount of money that flows to Thailand from tourism along its Andaman coast provinces of Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga, it appears no proper provision for search and rescue has ever been put in place.
Debate about the efficacy of a pinch-hitting search and rescue service comes with no lifeguards patrolling on Phuket's main beaches just as the stormy monsoon season sweeps in - the most dangerous time of the year for swimming.
Despite being sold around the world as a safe year-round swimming destination, a dispute about contracts usually keeps lifeguards off Phuket's top 13 tourist beaches for several weeks each year.
The present no-lifeguards crisis has occurred several times, with no permanent solution being sought.
The search and rescue fuel shortage and the lack of lifeguards since March 27 highlight a remarkable lack of investment by Thailand in tourism marine safety.
Yesterday Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong underscored the lack of proper funding by asking several tourism-related agencies to help provide Marine Police with an adequate fuel supply if searches need to be mounted in future for tourists or Thai fishermen.
Lack of fuel also prevents the Marine Police and other local authorities from putting to sea to properly stop and question trawlers suspected of human trafficking and other infringements.
Three trawlers intercepted and checked in a display for the governor's benefit by various Phuket authorities yesterday were stopped and searched close to port.
The legacy of the loss of Joshua Devine appears to be exposure of flaws in provision of proper search and rescue off the Andaman coast. But the family of the diver, who worked in Kuwait as an IT contractor with the US Army, still hope he will be found safely.
''My seven-year-old knows that Uncle Josh is having an adventure,'' said Bakowski. ''And it kind of gives me hope that maybe he is having an adventure.''
Meanwhile, the family still want to talk to anyone who can tell them what happened on the dive boat in the final hours before Joshua Devine disappeared. Bakowski can be contacted through the Bring Josh Home Safe Facebook page or via email at jadunne3@yahoo.com.
Wouldn't search because of a holiday ??
No amount of extra fuel is going to change that attitude. I bet they were pleased it wasn't one of their own family members that was missing!
As for money to pay for more fuel - why not take it from the "rent money" being paid by the jet ski operators to allow them to continue their illegal businesses?
Oh ..... Silly me .... Again ! What a stupid idea ......
Posted by Discover thainess on April 30, 2015 10:12
Editor Comment:
It's good that authorities on Phuket are seeking solutions but Thailand makes enough money from tourism to lift its game and provide adequate search and rescue services from existing income.