Phuket Governor Nirat Pongsithavorn presided over the ceremony at the Phuket Smart Pier building at Chalong Pier yesterday, joined by Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO) President Rewat Areerob, senior officials, invited agencies and guests. The event formed part of a clearly orchestrated PR campaign promoting the island’s image as a world-class marine tourism destination with modern safety systems in place.
Speaking at the ceremony, Gov Nirat declared that Phuket remains an international tourism leader, with authorities making safety, security and service quality a “top priority”. He said the Smart Pier system demonstrates Phuket’s commitment to upgrading maritime safety standards through digital management – from passenger registration and verification, to emergency notifications and central command link-ups – to “build confidence” among Thai and foreign tourists.
Mr Rewat similarly described Phuket as the “Pearl of the Andaman” and said the Smart Pier project implements Phuket’s ‘Smart City’ policy at the pier level, claiming it will standardise pier management, ensure safety and support systematic monitoring.
Officials confirmed the Phuket Smart Pier system has been operational since Dec 15, with yesterday’s ceremony effectively serving as a formal PR launch. The system applies to passenger registration at Chalong Pier, which remains under PPAO management.
However, while officials strongly touted the initiative as a major step forward, The Phuket News has already received complaints from boat operators frustrated by the lack of advance notice and the sudden requirement to provide full passenger details for every person boarding vessels.
ANNOUNCE, RINSE, REPEAT
Despite the pomp of yesterday’s launch, “Smart Pier” systems are far from new in Phuket. Authorities have been publicly promoting smart pier technology for at least five years.
In October 2023, officials again heralded a major upgrade to turn Chalong Pier into a “smart pier”, reportedly at a cost of around B60 million, under a project driven by the Phuket Marine Office in coordination with the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Depa).
Prior to that, in 2020, the National Chief Ombudsman visited Phuket specifically to inspect “Smart Pier” technology at Ao Por Pier, which authorities then claimed would significantly strengthen passenger safety and monitoring.
Despite these repeated, high-profile unveilings and continued assurances of improved safety, tragic incidents have continued to occur.
In January last year, a 5-year-old Russian girl was killed when a speedboat slammed into rocks at Koh Maithon while returning to Phuket from Phi Phi.
The accident shocked the island – not least because only hours earlier, the then-Phuket Governor had led another high-visibility publicity inspection at Chalong Pier, boasting of safety readiness during the New Year ‘Seven Days’ campaign.
As with yesterday’s event, senior officials that same day posed for photographs in front of the same large “Phuket Smart Pier” sign.
Beyond that tragedy, Phuket’s most devastating marine disaster remains the Phoenix tour boat sinking in 2018, in which 47 Chinese tourists died.
It was only after that disaster that authorities dramatically intensified their marine safety PR messaging, repeatedly promoting safety campaigns, inspection drives and technology projects such as Smart Piers – much of which has centred on announcements rather than demonstrably proven prevention.