Sa-Ngob Satone, Senior Public Works Technician from Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket (DPM), explained to The Phuket News, “At present, rescue boats from DPM or the Marine Police are moored next to Rassada Pier.
“But with all the commercial boat traffic, the way out is often blocked by other boats, causing delays in rescuing tourists. So in order to speed things up we have decided to build a pier that will be for the exclusive use of official vessels.
“Once the pier is completed the Marine Police, the DPM and medical staff will be on call at the pier around the clock, allowing us to move much faster.
“For example, if a problem occurs 10 nautical miles away, rescue teams will be able to get there within 20 minutes of being alerted.”
A budget of B44 million has been allocated for building the pier and offices. It is expected to be completed by September or October next year.