The deputy chief of the PPAO has responded by stating that bidding is now underway for a new contract and that the issue will be resolved by the end of the month.
At yesterday’s (Nov 9) ‘Governor Meets Press’ meeting held at the Phuket Provincial Office, Gov Norraphat discussed about the Phuket Beach Safety Lifeguard Project and ordered the PPAO to hurry up in hiring lifeguards and have them stationed at important areas on Phuket’s beaches.
Joining Gov Norraphat at the meeting were Vice Governors Snith Sriwihok and Thawornwat Kongkaew, Phuket Provincial Office Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Sakchai Kunanuwatchaiyadech, PPAO Deputy Chief Satien Kaewpraprab and others.
Mr Satien said, “The PPAO has a Beach Safety Lifeguard Project which is aimed at helping people should they become involved in water accidents at 12 of Phuket’s beaches. However, Laem Singh Beach is not to be included in those 12 beaches for now as there is no access to the beach.
“Lifeguards who were stationed at Laem Singh Beach have now been moved to Patong and that means we now only cover 11 beaches.
“The 2017 budget contract for B16,566,000 ended on Sept 30 (contract started Jan 20 – Sept 30). So in October the lifeguards stopped working. We have managed to hire beach security for eight beaches and they started work on Nov 1,” Mr Satien said.
“There are currently six lifeguards at Nai Harn Beach, two at Yanui Beach, seven at Kamala Beach, 21 at Patong Beach, six at Surin Beach, 11 at Bang Tao Beach, five at Nai Thon Beach and five at Mai Khao Beach.
“In total there 63 lifeguard covering 24 stations on eight beaches.
“We are now in the process of hiring lifeguards for Kata, Karon an Nai Yang beaches and we expect to there to be 32 lifeguards covering these three beaches,” Mr Satien explained.
“The PPAO opened bidding for a new company to take on the lifeguard contract via the phuketcity.org website on Nov 6 offering a budget of B16,500,000 for 10 months of service. Bidding will close on Nov 23 and I can assure you that the issue of lifeguards will be resolved by the end of November.
“However, some beaches that do not have lifeguards will have local administrative officers keeping an eye out for tourists,” Mr Satien concluded.