The announcement came on Wednesday (Jan 20) after Gov Chamroen Tipyapongthada and Marine Office Chief, Phuripat Theerakulpisut, visited Sinsangrat Pier in Rassada to ensure a quality service and maximum security was being provided to tourists.
Gov Chamroen said, “Without doubt, travelling by boat is risky and accidents can happen anytime, so we need to provide maximum safety and security for passengers and crews by utilising the technology we already have in place.
“I have ordered the Marine Office to install CCTV in front of every pier to monitor tourists when they arrive or depart by ferry or speed boat. Officers at the piers must know how many people board each vessel in case someone goes missing,” he said.
“We will be able to monitor tour boats by counting the passengers boarding each boat so they do not get overloaded. Every boat must carry the correct amount of passengers as set out by the law. And for safety reasons, all crew members and tourists must wear life jackets at all times when traveling by sea,” he added.
“Sinsangrat Pier is the first pier where the Marine Office has installed CCTV and today we have seen many Chinese tourists boarding speed boats to visit Phi Phi and Koh Khai.
“All tourist have been asked to display their passport to the CCTV to make it easier for officials to do a head count and monitor safety. They were very pleased with our new security system,” Gov Chamroen said.