The practical training workshop for tour boat personnel was officially opened by Phuket Vice Governor Suwit Phansengiam at the NH Boat Lagoon Phuket Resort yesterday (May 24).
The training forms part of the ‘Phuket Safety Destination’ project, which is designed to strengthen marine tourism safety and boost confidence among visitors travelling to the island.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Phuket Provincial Tourism and Sports Office Director Somchai Semmanee said statistics showed an increasing number of water-related accidents involving tourists in Phuket, raising concerns over the potential impact on the province’s tourism image.
He explained that Phuket received funding for the project from the central government’s emergency reserve budget under the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.
Mr Somchai said the project focuses on equipping tourism personnel from both the public and private sectors with practical life-saving skills and emergency response knowledge, enabling them to assist victims quickly and effectively during marine accidents.
The project includes two separate training programmes.
The first course is aimed at personnel working on tour boats, including operators, captains, crew members and tour guides. The training is being held over three one-day sessions from May 24-26, with 50 participants attending each session at the NH Boat Lagoon Phuket Resort.
A second course will target lifeguards and personnel assisting tourists. That programme will run in six three-day sessions from June 5-28 at Sirinat National Park in Thalang, with 30 participants per session.
Vice Governor Suwit said Phuket’s status as one of the world’s leading marine tourism destinations made tourist safety an urgent priority for authorities.
He said participants completing the programme would help strengthen confidence in Phuket tourism while gaining essential first aid skills, including the correct use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and other life-saving equipment.
The training is expected to help reduce fatalities and improve the handling of emergency situations before victims can be transferred for medical treatment, he said.
The workshop instructors included specialists from the Phuket Regional Marine Office, Marine Police Station 3 under Division 8 of the Marine Police Command, and the Life Saving School of Thailand.
Officials said the cooperation between agencies was intended to strengthen Phuket’s tourism safety standards, improve the island’s tourism image, encourage repeat visits and support long-term tourism revenue growth.