PHUKET: Patong and other tourist drinking spots around the holiday island of Phuket are to be targeted between the hours of 1am and 4am during the Seven Days of Danger that begins from midnight tonight.
Marine safety and road safety on Phuket are both being addressed simultaneously, the island's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation director, Santheat Rieleung, said today.
''We want to keep everybody safe from harm so it makes sense to focus on the places where drinkers are,'' Khun Santheat said. ''So from 1am-4am our patrols will be more intense.''
He added that the other peak time would be 6pm-8pm, the hours when Thai families usually congregate and sometimes there is drinking to excess.
Motorists will have to watch for 10 checkpoints on Phuket's main roads and another 15 on smaller roads, he said.
This year there will also be a focus on marine safety, with checks being made at all 12 piers on Phuket for lifejackets, making sure that vessels stick to their authorised capacities, and drug tests on boat drivers.
Governor Nisit Jansomwong has ordered Phuket's 19 municipal councils to provide respite stations around the island, with 22 likely to be set up so drivers can stop to learn about this year's campaign and also enjoy a drink of water and some snacks as well if needed.
DDPM figures - which are slightly different to Public Health figures - show that there were nine deaths on Phuket roads in the Seven Days of Danger in 2012-13 but only five deaths in 2013-14. People admitted to hospital, though, rose from 24 two years ago to 33 last year.
Beginning as the clock ticks past midnight tonight, the seven days end at midnight on January 5, 2015.
Marine safety and road safety on Phuket are both being addressed simultaneously, the island's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation director, Santheat Rieleung, said today.
''We want to keep everybody safe from harm so it makes sense to focus on the places where drinkers are,'' Khun Santheat said. ''So from 1am-4am our patrols will be more intense.''
He added that the other peak time would be 6pm-8pm, the hours when Thai families usually congregate and sometimes there is drinking to excess.
Motorists will have to watch for 10 checkpoints on Phuket's main roads and another 15 on smaller roads, he said.
This year there will also be a focus on marine safety, with checks being made at all 12 piers on Phuket for lifejackets, making sure that vessels stick to their authorised capacities, and drug tests on boat drivers.
Governor Nisit Jansomwong has ordered Phuket's 19 municipal councils to provide respite stations around the island, with 22 likely to be set up so drivers can stop to learn about this year's campaign and also enjoy a drink of water and some snacks as well if needed.
DDPM figures - which are slightly different to Public Health figures - show that there were nine deaths on Phuket roads in the Seven Days of Danger in 2012-13 but only five deaths in 2013-14. People admitted to hospital, though, rose from 24 two years ago to 33 last year.
Beginning as the clock ticks past midnight tonight, the seven days end at midnight on January 5, 2015.
Marine safety checks? Maybe they should send some undercover officer on the patong beach. Have a lot to do, I'm sure.
Posted by steve on December 29, 2014 12:35