THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Visitors to Phuket during the coming high season are urged to exercise extreme caution in the water surrounding the island following the removal of all of Phuket’s lifeguards and rescue equipment.

The removal of rescue equipment and personnel follows the expiration of a contract between the island’s administrative body and a private company that had previously provided the service.

Until a new contract is awarded popular tourist beaches such as Patong, Karon and Kata will have no trained lifesaving personnel on duty and no rescue equipment on-hand.

Paiboon Upatising, CEO of the Phuket Orborjor, said tenders for the provision of lifesaving services needed to be called and submissions examined prior to a new contract being awarded.

”We will probably have lifeguards again by early next year,” he said.

There has been a number of drownings on Phuket beaches, notably at Karon Beach and Patong Beach, during the April to November monsoon season when lifeguard services were being provided and the removal of equipment and personnel is causing deep concern among tourism operators on the island as the high-season approaches.

While some resorts employ their own lifeguards, these are only responsible for resort guests swimming on their section of beach.

Phuket’s attractive ocean water often conceals dangerous rips and undertows, while earlier this year the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) issued an official warning to swimmers and resort operators after deadly box jelly fish were found around the island.

By John Le Fevre

Thailand Travel News for December 9, 2009