10 replies to this topic

[patong]

This is story that attracted my attention. Phuket Island has just started it's high season, an Aussie was drowned a few days ago, and the authorities pull the lifeguards off the beaches. Not that they were much use anyway, but at least it was something.


Danger: Phuket Pulls Lifeguards Off All Beaches

By Chutima Sidasathian and Alan Morison
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Phuketwan News Analysis

THERE are no lifeguards on any of the beaches on the popular holiday resort island of Phuket as a wrangle about who pays for equipment and training places the lives of swimmers at risk.

The island's administrative body, the Orborjor, has also taken away surf boards and other paraphernalia that could be vital if someone finds themselves in distress and signals for help.

Rest of this story ---->

http://phuketwan.com...-beaches-11857/

[Wino]

A tourist drowned a few days before and they pull the life guards. Doesn't make much sense.

[lvdkeyes]

Not having life guards makes sense from their standpoint. It eliminates the culpability.

[Wino]

I think we are talking about public beaches. Not much chance of blaming the government officials and probably not much chance of litigation.

[Beer Chang]

Don't see any lifeguards in Pattaya, Jomtien, or Ko Larn.

[patong]

Yest another drowning here on Phuket Island, a young Thai kid, very sad. But I have to wonder why the parents were not supervising a young year old!!!



Boy's Narrow Escape: Phuket Faces Beach Anger

By Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Phuketwan News Analysis

AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Thai boy almost became the latest Phuket drowning statistic over the weekend . . . at a beach with no lifeguards.

The whole holiday island has no lifeguards because officials continue to wrangle about contracts and tenders. In the midst of the tourist high season and all year long, the safety of visitors and residents should take priority.
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The boy almost became yet another drowning statistic at the southern beach of Nai Harn on Sunday. He was plucked from the water and recovered after treatment at Vachira Hospital in Phuket City.

Rest of news story ---->

http://phuketwan.com...ch-anger-11879/

[lvdkeyes]

patong, on 08 December 2009 - 03:27 AM, said:

Yest another drowning here on Phuket Island, a young Thai kid, very sad. But I have to wonder why the parents were not supervising a young year old!!!
http://phuketwan.com...ch-anger-11879/

Unless I missed something, the article says he survived, thankfully.

[patong]

Never said he died, just said he was a 'drowning statistic'. Must admit that the news report was over dramatic as the boy was not a 'drowning fatality'. I still wonder what this young boy's parents were thinking

[Bob]

patong, on 09 December 2009 - 03:15 AM, said:

Never said he died, just said he was a 'drowning statistic'.

Not to be too pedantic (hell, I'm not even sure how to spell that let alone am I 100% sure of what it means), but your post starts out with "Yet (sic) another drowning" which said to me, at least when I read it, that somebody drowned. That to me (again, you're dealing with a simple mind here) meant somebody died.

Back on topic (meaning I apologize for that pedantic interruption), I am with the group that simply wonders where the parents were. You simply don't allow a kid that age to go anywhere near the water without somebody watching him all the time.

[Beer Chang]

Bob, on 09 December 2009 - 07:41 AM, said:

You simply don't allow a kid that age to go anywhere near the water without somebody watching him all the time.

Agreed.

[Wino]

Seems to me, Thais are more relaxed about raising children than parents in the West. Granted a parent should keep an eagle eye on an eight year old child at the beach, but seems they believe in the concept of "it takes a villiage to raise a child." The reliance on other adults to look after their childrens seems part of child rearing in Thailand.