PHUKET: The reported drowning of yet another Chinese tourist while snorkelling off the popular day-trip destination of Racha island should be sounding alarm bells with Phuket tourism officials today.
He Hua, 38, was on a holiday outing with family and friends. Finishing the afternoon with a needless death was not in their plans.
Time and again, the story has been repeated on day-trip adventures from Phuket and around the Andaman region.
The body of the snorkeller is found face down, and cannot be revived. Or the person goes into the water after lunch and drowns.
The simple fact is that tour operators and speedboat crews are not showing due diligence in protecting the tourists entrusted into their care.
Chinese visitors often are poor swimmers and in some cases cannot swim at all.
The greed of tour operators inevitably means that they are bundled into life jackets and try snorkelling anyway.
Phuket's Marine 5 Office conducts a campaign to equip day-trip speedboats with life jackets. But it does little else.
The fact is, more Chinese tourists will die unless Phuket's Marine Office 5 and other officials around the region get tough with tour guides and speedboat crews and hold them responsible for the safety of day-trippers.
A few years ago, the then Chinese ambassador to Thailand warned that unless safety standards improved, China would cease to allow tourists to visit the Phuket region.
The needless deaths continue.
Unless tour guides and speedboat crews can offer proper supervision. the Chinese Government may well decide not to risk the safety of their citizens.
He Hua, 38, was on a holiday outing with family and friends. Finishing the afternoon with a needless death was not in their plans.
Time and again, the story has been repeated on day-trip adventures from Phuket and around the Andaman region.
The body of the snorkeller is found face down, and cannot be revived. Or the person goes into the water after lunch and drowns.
The simple fact is that tour operators and speedboat crews are not showing due diligence in protecting the tourists entrusted into their care.
Chinese visitors often are poor swimmers and in some cases cannot swim at all.
The greed of tour operators inevitably means that they are bundled into life jackets and try snorkelling anyway.
Phuket's Marine 5 Office conducts a campaign to equip day-trip speedboats with life jackets. But it does little else.
The fact is, more Chinese tourists will die unless Phuket's Marine Office 5 and other officials around the region get tough with tour guides and speedboat crews and hold them responsible for the safety of day-trippers.
A few years ago, the then Chinese ambassador to Thailand warned that unless safety standards improved, China would cease to allow tourists to visit the Phuket region.
The needless deaths continue.
Unless tour guides and speedboat crews can offer proper supervision. the Chinese Government may well decide not to risk the safety of their citizens.
There is also responsibility on the part of the swimmer. No one FORCES them to go in the water. Too often the finger is pointed at lifeguards or tour operators, the skill set of the swimmer is not, and should not be their responsibility alone. If you can't swim, don't go in the water!!!!
Posted by Anonymous on January 27, 2015 09:41
Editor Comment:
Provided you know that the tour you are going on is not safe for you, that's fine. Do tour operators turn away poor swimmers, or even ask the question: how well can you swim? If the answer is No, the operators are at fault.