Ratsada Pier, also branded as Rassada Harbour, is operated under concession by Seatran Travel and currently services at least 29 scheduled departures a day, not including any chartered vessels using the pier.
During boat safety checks conducted last Friday (Dec 29), Prawet Suphachai, Director of Regional Harbor Office 5, joined by Phuket Marine Office Chief Natchapong Pranit, pointed out that more than 5,000 people a day were travelling on the boats travelling to and from Ratsada Pier.
Ratsada Pier is the main ferry terminal on Phuket for ferries heading to Phi Phi Island and other destinations in Phang Nga Bay, as well as destinations in Krabi and further south, such as Koh Lipe in Satun.
Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat led the expedition of officials to Ratsada Pier this morning.
Joining his entourage of high-powered officials were leading officials from the Phuket Marine Office, the Phuket Provincial office of teh Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket), the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO), Mueang Phuket District office, Phuket Provincial Police, officers from the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command’s Phuket Port Security Control Center and from the Phuket branch of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc), which serves as the political arm of the Thai military.
Qualified nurses from the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPAO) were present to conduct the tests.
In total 18 boat captains and crew were tested for drug use. One person tested positive, said an official report of the tests performed.
The peron who tested positive was handed over to Ratsada Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital to enter treatment, the report said.
The report made no mention of the person’s name, position or role or on which boat the person worked, or whether the person had already performed duties under the influence on a boat before the testing was conducted.
As with drug tests conducted at Chalong Pier yesterday, the official aim of conducting drug tests at Ratsada Pier today was to “follow up on maritime safety measures in order to build confidence among “citizens and tourists”.
Of note, none of the 23 people tested at Chalong Pier yesterday positive for drugs, according to official reports.
The mass drug testing follows the speedboat accident at Koh Maithon on Sunday that killed a 5-year-old Russian girl and seriously injured several others, including the boat captain.
So far no official reports have recognised that drugs may have been a factor in the deadly speedboat accident.
However, Channel 7 News and Thai Post, among other thai news agencies, have reported that the captain of the speedboat ’Apirak 89’, Natthaphong Kongwilai, had tested positive for methamphetamine use.