PHUKET: The deaths of two Chinese visitors in a Pattaya speedboat crash will provide the first case for Thailand's new Tourism Court, according to Thai media reports.
Dong Feiyue, 30, and Zhang Tao, 29, were killed when the speedboat in which they were riding with other visitors slammed into another boat on August 28.
The driver of the speedboat, who was among eight people injured, has been charged with reckless behavior and remains in police custody.
Tourism and Sport Minister Somsak Pureesrisak appears to be determined to increase the responsiblity of those involved in Thailand's tourism industry, especially at sea.
According to Khaosod news online, the Ministry has spent 14 million baht on officials training in France for the Tourism Court, which will open on December 5, HM The King's birthday.
Concern has been mounting following a number of deaths and clear signs that poorly trained speedboat ''captains'' are inclined at times to play cowboys.
On Phuket, a Chinese tourist was killed last year and three others were injured when a careless ''captain'' slung a trailing banana boat into the side of an anchored speedboat.
The driver was fined and briefly suspended.
Earlier, a Russian man narrowly escaped death when he dived under a speedboat at a Phuket beach and suffered a propeller slice to a leg.
A Phuket marine official, who failed to even reprimand the speedboat captain, described such incidents as ''natural.''
Dong Feiyue, 30, and Zhang Tao, 29, were killed when the speedboat in which they were riding with other visitors slammed into another boat on August 28.
The driver of the speedboat, who was among eight people injured, has been charged with reckless behavior and remains in police custody.
Tourism and Sport Minister Somsak Pureesrisak appears to be determined to increase the responsiblity of those involved in Thailand's tourism industry, especially at sea.
According to Khaosod news online, the Ministry has spent 14 million baht on officials training in France for the Tourism Court, which will open on December 5, HM The King's birthday.
Concern has been mounting following a number of deaths and clear signs that poorly trained speedboat ''captains'' are inclined at times to play cowboys.
On Phuket, a Chinese tourist was killed last year and three others were injured when a careless ''captain'' slung a trailing banana boat into the side of an anchored speedboat.
The driver was fined and briefly suspended.
Earlier, a Russian man narrowly escaped death when he dived under a speedboat at a Phuket beach and suffered a propeller slice to a leg.
A Phuket marine official, who failed to even reprimand the speedboat captain, described such incidents as ''natural.''
In Thailand, there is no marine training center in the Andaman Sea and the 2 marine training centers are in Samut Prakan and Pattaya.
Therefore, all boat captains have no choice but to work one year at least in a boat operator company and is eligible to apply to get a helmsman boat licence by complacency witout proper training in marine regulation, safety and rescue.
Boat operators in Thailand along the Andaman Sea would be happy to have a marine training center to get better skilled boat crews.
MERCHANT MARINE TRAINING CENTRE - 120 Moo 7, Soi Tessaban 6, Sukhumvit Road, Bangduan, Samut Prakan 10270 THAILAND Tel: 02 756 49 71/80 Website: http://www.mmtc.ac.th FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/ThaiMMTC
ASIAN MARITIME TECHNOLOGICAL COLLEGE - 79/4 Moo 4, Bung, Sriracha,
Chonburi 20230 THAILAND Tel: 038 042 011 Mobile: 086 377 71 98 Email: russell@amcol.ac.th Website: http://www.amcolasia.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/.../554964131202349
Posted by Whistle-Blower on September 3, 2013 13:25