With three drowning incidents in as many days last month, the issue of safety on the beaches of Phuket has emerged as a major cause for concern.

The Phuket Post contacted Khun Arun Kerdsom, Chief of Phuket Provincial Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, who said, “We have life guard centres installed on all beaches to give advice on how to swim safely. A preventive measure installed by the government is the putting up of red flags whenever it is dangerous to swim.

“Both measures (lifeguards and red flags) are daily routines and have been installed to protect the lives of the tourists and residents in phuket. Normally, all beaches in Phuket are great places for rest and recreation, but in the monsoon period, we provide for the safety of the people by using the measure listed above.” said Khun Arun.

“We urge tourists and residents to comply with lifeguards' guards warnings against swimming and to also take note of the red flags that warn against swimming,” he continued. “Patong beach, for example, can be divided into7 zones. The presence of a red flag on one zone warns against swimming in that area, but swimmers should also be careful when swimming all along the beach. It is better to swim near the lifeguard centres, although the best preventive measure is to not swim at all, if there are any red flags.

“We have installed red flags on every beach and we urge everyone to take note of these red flags, warning boards and lifeguards' suggestions especially in the monsoon. Co-operation from the public and adherence to the safety warnings installed can ensure that we have no more tragic incidents on the beaches of Phuket.”