There are so many tourists before 8.30am on the beach, maybe the lifeguards should wake up a little earlier.
I forgot, no one will pay the extra time. The lifeguards earn so little money. Please goverment gives them double the money.
Who takes over once the responsibility, the beachmanagment is a joke.
The new tourists should be made better aware of the dangers.
The polluted beaches are a shame for Phuket.

Posted by steve on August 16, 2015 17:48

That's heartbreaking to see the poor Thai wife in the photo. RIP

Posted by sateeb on August 16, 2015 20:29

breaks my heart to see that poor women. Went to Pattaya beach around 1pm yesterday.
Sadly lifeguards trying to convince people to stay in flagged areas and just being ignored.
Have to say however the beach looked great without the lounges but the stench at the Patong beach sign was overwhelming

Posted by Arthur on August 17, 2015 11:38

for PattayaCity Beach you will not convince me to put my feet barefoot even on the sand!
same is for a majority of visitors, all over the year

Posted by Sue on August 17, 2015 15:08

Oh that poor woman! A gut wrenching pic...So sad!
Don't think that all the graphics, warnings etc in the world will deter a determined tourist who has flown many hours at great expense to bathe in tropical waters. No laws or whatever controls the will. Witness helmet laws.
Think the life guards do their best with limited resources and should be subsidized by the tourism government and all local businesses - disgusting that they have to rent jet skis - hope the governance pays.

Posted by david on August 18, 2015 09:44

david

what you said is non-sense,as although yes,some people have chicken brains,most do not get a proper and timely explanation.

for me,when traveling to Bentota in Sri Lanka,it took 2minutes of proper story telling that No Swimming At All in front of the hotelillustrating that by an emphasis that on average 1-2drowning takes a place monthly,and the last one was last month,when guys decided "to bath a bit" not far from the shore. It was made in a comprehensive English. Wouod it be made in Singhalese ,It would not get to me - extremely poor translation of safety messages in Phuketv- as far it concerns languages that I understand,greatly contributes to lack of impact on behavior of visitors.

Another aspect is that safety signage on a beach is not sufficient,that one that is placed there seems to be misplaced on purpose - as if someone puts it at spots where no one would read it,too small dimensions to get a message,not correct usage of icons and graphics - not internationally accepted prohibition and warning pictograms and graphic elements,ahd finally ,not sufficient number of signs - also if benchmark not only against sound sense whether safety message reasonably can reach a target audience, but also against minimum requirements set in international standards.

More signs,much larger signs,at an appropriate locations not behind a tree,in a langugae that key tourist groups do understand,not Tinglish,or non existing version of dialect of Mandarin or Russian.

Posted by Sue on August 18, 2015 11:03

I think it might be wise to have Loud Speakers installed at these beaches!! Of course they will need proper English speaking guards to sound warnings so the tourists can understand! I feel Audible warnings can be much more effective than mere signs or flags!!

Posted by Deepak on August 19, 2015 04:16

In some European cities in England, Germany and Denmark one sonicated public places and shopping centers with classical music.

This keeps beggars and vagrants away from loitering, most of this clientele not like classical music.

I would imagine that Wagner's Lohengrin on Phuket's beaches could have a powerful effect.

Better to run away before the Germans invade.

Posted by Georg The Viking on August 19, 2015 08:50