Mr Sanphet led the inspection tour yesterday (June 28), accompanied by Marine Department Director-General Kritpetch Chaiyachai, Prime Minister’s Office Deputy Spokesperson Ploytalay Laksmisangchan, Phuket Provincial Land Transport Office (PLTO) Chief Adcha Buachan, Phuket Highways Office Chief Winai Kuemueang, Phuket Regional Marine Office Director Adul Ralukmoon and other officials.
The visit began at Patong Beach, where officials inspected jet-ski operations and enforcement measures targeting unlicensed vessels, expired registrations, boats operating outside approved areas and encroachment into designated swimming zones.
According to officials, Patong Beach currently has around 170 jet-skis available for hire through more than 50 operators, with rentals averaging B1,500 for 30 minutes.
Province-wide, Phuket now has 384 licensed jet-skis operating at Patong, Kata, Karon, Kamala, Bang Tao and Koh Naka beaches, said an official report.
Officials said another group of operators is still completing regulatory requirements, while a number of jet-skis continue to operate illegally outside the licensing system.
The province’s fleet has steadily expanded over the past two decades. Records presented during the inspection showed 219 licensed jet skis in 2004, followed by an additional 67 licences issued in 2011, 20 in 2020, 16 in 2021 and 62 more this year, bringing the total to 384.
Specifically not mentioned in the official reports of Mr Sanpetch’s visit was the move to have 300 Phuket jet-ski permits approved as one of the last acts of former Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat before he retired late last year. Also not mentioned was the slew of raids that garnered hundreds of thousands of baht in fines levied against people illegally running jet-ski rentals, with jet-skis that were not registered.
Mr Sanphet, the Bhumjaithai Party MP for Songkhla, also met Patong’s lifeguards, stressing the importance of displaying red warning flags during dangerous sea conditions and placing tourist safety above all else.
He warned that drowning fatalities could seriously damage Phuket’s reputation as an international tourist destination.
Officials reported that Patong Beach receives around 5,000 visitors a day during the high season. Patong Municipality has already installed CCTV cameras along the beachfront and plans to expand coverage while improving lighting at night. ATV patrols will also continue monitoring the beach to improve visitor safety.
The deputy minister also spoke with Malaysian tourists visiting Patong during the inspection.
The delegation later inspected tourist boat operations before travelling to Chalong Pier, where the Ministry of Transport announced plans to accelerate the development of the facility into a national model for smart port technology,as the ministry has done repeatedly for years.
Speaking at Chalong Pier, Mr Sanphet said the ministry would move ahead with improvements requested by operators, including additional staff to assist with vessel mooring and more sheltered waiting areas for passengers during rain.
He said development of the ‘Phuket Smart Pier’ project would continue through cooperation between the Marine Department and the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO), incorporating artificial intelligence, digital monitoring systems, CCTV surveillance and real-time data connectivity to improve safety and operational efficiency.
Marine Department Director-General Kritpetch Chaiyachai said the department was replacing its largely manual oversight system with a fully digital Port Control platform scheduled to become operational in mid-July.
Developed following lessons learned from the 2018 ‘Phoenix’ tour boat disaster, which killed 46 Chinese tourists, the new system will integrate vessel registration data, passenger manifests, licence verification and real-time weather alerts to improve monitoring and bring Phuket’s maritime safety standards closer to international benchmarks, Mr Kritpetch said.
Boat operators also raised concerns over the allocation, sale and leasing of mooring buoys in Chalong Bay, saying the current system affects docking access and business operations.
Mr Sanphet instructed the Marine Department and relevant agencies to investigate the issue and develop solutions to ensure fair access while improving management of the bay.
With the focus on tour boat safety, not mentioned in the official reports were the tour boat explosion that killed one man in April, or the beachfront blaze beside Chalong Pier that destroyed 24 tour speedboats in January.
Regardless, the inspection tour also included an update on the proposed ’Phuket Expressway Phase 1’ linking Kathu and Patong, otherwise known as the Patong Tunnel project, where officials received a briefing at the site of the planned tunnel entrance on Route 4029.
The delegation concluded the visit at Phuket International Airport, where transport officials inspected public taxi services and measures to improve compliance with transport regulations, enhance service standards and provide safer transport for residents and visitors.
Among those accompanying the deputy minister throughout the visit was Ploytalay Laksmisangchan, who as a Bhumjaithai Party candidate failed to win Phuket’s Constituency 3 seat in the February general election.
With that failure, Ms Ploytalay is now Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office.