Former Phuket Lifeguard Service (PLS) employees, contracted by PPAO on month-by-month basis, stopped protecting Kamala, Surin, Bang Tao, Naithon and Mai Khao* beaches due to new tensions with the PPAO, according to Wirun Cheusaman, a lifeguard from Surin beach.
“The contract for December was rejected by lifesavers and all of them left the beaches on December 1,” said Mr Wirun.
Mr Wirun explained that he and his colleagues were told by the PPAO that their salaries for November will not be paid until the middle of the current month. Lifeguards found the date unacceptable.
“The PPAO has not paid my salary for the previous month. This is not acceptable, mid-December is really too late. We need our salaries to live,” Mr Wirun told The Phuket News today (Dec 1).
“We have returned all the equipment to the PPAO earlier today and stopped providing our services at Kamala, Surin, Naithon, Mai Khao and Bang Tao beaches until we get our salaries for the previous month. The deadline is December 8”, he added.
Nai Harn chief lifeguard Jula Nontree told the The Phuket News that his team will no longer provide their services on Nai harn Beach for the same reason.
Nobody was from the PPAO was available for comment this evening.
*Update: It was later confirmed that seven Phuket beaches (Surin, Bang Tao, Nai Thon, Mai Khao, Nai Harn, Yanui, Kata and Karon) were left without lifeguards starting Dec 1, while Kamala lifeguards agreed to continue working untill Dec 7.