According to an official report yesterday (Jan 8), “The Phuket Provincial Office [led by Phuket Governor Nirat Nirat Pongsittithaworn] has moved to fast-track assistance for speedboat operators after a fire damaged 24 vessels belonging to 16 businesses, with authorities promoting financial aid, loan support and employment assistance for affected workers.”
The report marked a “coordination meeting” held at the “Phuket Smart Pier” meeting room at Chalong Pier to establish guidelines for assistance and compensation following the fire that broke out on Wednesday morning (Jan 7).
The meeting was chaired by Phuket Vice Governor Adul Chuthong and brought together representatives from government agencies, financial institutions and speedboat operators affected by the incident.
Agencies in attendance included the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO) Deputy Chief Chalam Atthatham, Rawai Mayor Thames Kraithat, officials from the Phuket Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office (DDPM Phuket), as well as from DDPM PPAO and Chalong Municipality.
Also present were representatives from the Phuket office of the Treasury Department, and representatives from the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP) and the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand (SME Bank). Affected operators also attended the meeting.
According to an initial situation report presented at the meeting, the fire affected 16 businesses and damaged a total of 24 speedboats, significantly disrupting marine tourism operations and employment in the Chalong area, the report noted.
Officials discussed a range of assistance measures aimed at easing hardship and supporting what they described as a rapid recovery, including direct government financial assistance, access to low-interest loans and debt moratoriums for affected operators.
Vice Governor Adul said the Phuket Governor had instructed that the affected area be formally declared a disaster zone, a move officials said would accelerate access to state assistance mechanisms.
“The declaration will open official channels for government aid and ensure that assistance can be delivered in a timely and comprehensive manner,” he said.
Phuket Province will also coordinate with OSMEP and the SME Bank to provide financial support. Existing businesses will be able to apply for debt moratoriums, while newly registered operators may apply for assistance under established criteria.
Attention was also given to workers and boat crew members who lost income as a result of the fire. Local municipalities were tasked with registering affected workers and coordinating with the Phuket Provincial Employment Office to explore alternative job opportunities.
Authorities also said they would seek cooperation from the private sector, foundations and charitable organisations to help support displaced workers during the recovery period.
Vice Governor Adul said Phuket Province was ready to integrate cooperation across all sectors to ensure assistance reached those affected as quickly as possible.
“The priority is to help businesses and workers return to normal operations while maintaining confidence in Phuket’s tourism industry and overall economy,” he said.
SELF-PRAISE
Meanwhile, Phuket Governor Nirat has issued a self-congratulatory notice praising what local officials’ response to the fire, repeatedly highlighting “quick action” and the mobilisation of the so-called “Phuket Team”.
In a form harking back decades in public information even for Thai officials, the notice, headlined ‘Phuket Team Unleashed, Quick Action!’ opens by declaring: “Phuket Team Resolves Incident ‘Speedboat Fire’ in Chalong Bay”, followed by repeated references to rapid intervention by multiple agencies.
Summarising the response, the notice repeats: “Phuket Team Arrives Complete, Quick Action!”, adding that “all agencies responded swiftly and immediately to the incident”.
Governor Nirat, using his preferred moniker “Governor Sembe’, also made sure people knew the fire was “contained to 24 [boats] to prevent it from spreading to the more than 1,000 boats docked nearby, all with full fuel tanks.”
According to the notice, the Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Sinlert “leads forensic team to investigate”, while the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation “oversees damage assessment” and the Marine Department “manages boats and piers for normal operation”.
Local authorities were also credited, with the notice stating that the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization President, Chalong Mayor and Rawai Mayor sent firefighting teams, and that the Chalong Mayor will clear wreckage within 24 hours.
The notice further assured the public that “the Office of Insurance Commission handles boat insurance matters”, while “Public Relations provides accurate information”.
Very importantly, the notice marks: “Phuket Governor assigns the Deputy Governor and Provincial Secretary to speak with operators”, as noted by the report above.
However, while full of self-praise, local officials still have yet to make any mention of any assistance to tourists affected by the blaze, or any management of assistance to provide refunds.
Phuket officials, for all their talk of safety, also still have yet to explain why the situation was allowed, with officials obviously believing there was no danger in having the tour speedboats lined up along the Chalong beachfront, as they have done for decades.