PHUKET: Savage storms have locked in 150 tourists on an island off Phuket today with the weather forecast indicating that the number of stranded visitors will double tomorrow.
Predictions of waves of up to four metres, wind squalls of 35kph and rain over 90 percent of Phuket led Phuket Marine Office 5 chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut to ban vessels of less than 24 metres putting to sea from Tuesday - a dramatic increase on the previous ban on craft under nine metres.
The newly imposed restriction is designed to protect tourists at sea.
But it has also stranded 150 tourists on Koh Racha, a popular day-trip destination that in normal weather is about 40 minutes by speedboat from Phuket.
The help of the Governor of Phuket, Nisit Jansomwong, could be needed to solve the issue, Bandid Tippayanon, the Room Division Manager at the Raya Resort, largest of the four resorts on Racha, told Phuketwan tonight.
''Tonight we have 60 extra guests who have been unable to leave the resort,'' he said.
''We have called the Marine Police and the Royal Thai Navy but neither of them has a large enough vessel available immediately to ferry guests safely to Phuket.
''The total of stranded guests across the island is about 150 and that's likely to grow as more people end their holidays tomorrow and want to go home. Incoming guests have also been unable to leave Phuket to reach the Raya.''
The ban on boats shorter than 24 metres putting to sea tomorrow could be extended because the bad monsoon weather is forecast to last until Monday.
''We have provided complimentary accommodation for the stranded guests and have offered them a discount of 30 percent on food at the resort,'' Khun Bandid said.
''Khun Phuripat has banned the vessels that might have been able to carry off our guests so there is not much we can do.
''Phuket should have a plan in place that goes beyond the ban on boats putting to sea.''
The Commander of Royal Thai Navy 3, Vice Admiral Saiyan Prasongsomret, said tonight that warships were on duty off Surin island and in Phang Nga Bay and unable to respond instantly to ferry the stranded tourists to safety.
HTMS Chonburi is to be deployed tomorrow nearby, in the life-or-death search for six sailors missing after their barge, on its way to a Racha resort with construction equipment, disappeared in early morning darkness today.
It is believed the owner of the resort where construction is taking place insisted that the barge captain make the voyage despite the obvious danger of the monsoon storms.
''Business owners have to listen to the Bureau of Meteorology,'' the vice admiral said tonight. ''If you don't listen . . . ''
He added that resorts needed to contact Marine Police or the Royal Thai Navy in advance if they realised that the possibility existed of people being stranded by storms.
''We are always ready to help the tourism industry,'' he said. ''That's another part of our duties.''
Action by Khun Phuripat ordering the restriction on the size of boats at the insistence of Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong appears likely to have prevented a repetition of the stranding of more than 400 tourists off Phuket and Phang Nga in April, 2013, when scores of speedboats put out to sea despite severe weather warnings.
Patrol ship HTMS Pattani rescued the tourists safely and deposited them back at Tablamu pier, north of Phuket, docking about 3am. A Phuketwan team travelled north to report on the incident first-hand and praised the Navy.
Predictions of waves of up to four metres, wind squalls of 35kph and rain over 90 percent of Phuket led Phuket Marine Office 5 chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut to ban vessels of less than 24 metres putting to sea from Tuesday - a dramatic increase on the previous ban on craft under nine metres.
The newly imposed restriction is designed to protect tourists at sea.
But it has also stranded 150 tourists on Koh Racha, a popular day-trip destination that in normal weather is about 40 minutes by speedboat from Phuket.
The help of the Governor of Phuket, Nisit Jansomwong, could be needed to solve the issue, Bandid Tippayanon, the Room Division Manager at the Raya Resort, largest of the four resorts on Racha, told Phuketwan tonight.
''Tonight we have 60 extra guests who have been unable to leave the resort,'' he said.
''We have called the Marine Police and the Royal Thai Navy but neither of them has a large enough vessel available immediately to ferry guests safely to Phuket.
''The total of stranded guests across the island is about 150 and that's likely to grow as more people end their holidays tomorrow and want to go home. Incoming guests have also been unable to leave Phuket to reach the Raya.''
The ban on boats shorter than 24 metres putting to sea tomorrow could be extended because the bad monsoon weather is forecast to last until Monday.
''We have provided complimentary accommodation for the stranded guests and have offered them a discount of 30 percent on food at the resort,'' Khun Bandid said.
''Khun Phuripat has banned the vessels that might have been able to carry off our guests so there is not much we can do.
''Phuket should have a plan in place that goes beyond the ban on boats putting to sea.''
The Commander of Royal Thai Navy 3, Vice Admiral Saiyan Prasongsomret, said tonight that warships were on duty off Surin island and in Phang Nga Bay and unable to respond instantly to ferry the stranded tourists to safety.
HTMS Chonburi is to be deployed tomorrow nearby, in the life-or-death search for six sailors missing after their barge, on its way to a Racha resort with construction equipment, disappeared in early morning darkness today.
It is believed the owner of the resort where construction is taking place insisted that the barge captain make the voyage despite the obvious danger of the monsoon storms.
''Business owners have to listen to the Bureau of Meteorology,'' the vice admiral said tonight. ''If you don't listen . . . ''
He added that resorts needed to contact Marine Police or the Royal Thai Navy in advance if they realised that the possibility existed of people being stranded by storms.
''We are always ready to help the tourism industry,'' he said. ''That's another part of our duties.''
Action by Khun Phuripat ordering the restriction on the size of boats at the insistence of Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong appears likely to have prevented a repetition of the stranding of more than 400 tourists off Phuket and Phang Nga in April, 2013, when scores of speedboats put out to sea despite severe weather warnings.
Patrol ship HTMS Pattani rescued the tourists safely and deposited them back at Tablamu pier, north of Phuket, docking about 3am. A Phuketwan team travelled north to report on the incident first-hand and praised the Navy.
