The donation ceremony was led by Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos, who is a former President of Rotary Club of Andaman, along with Thana Kongkawas, the club’s current President.
Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat attended as the guest of honour, joined by representatives from the Phuket Chamber of Commerce. Dr Chuchat Nijvathana, Director of Chalong Hospital, received the ambulance on behalf of the hospital.
Mayor Aroon explained that Thana Kongkawas and the Rotary Club of Andaman were the main driving forces in seeing the donation through to completion.
The donation of the ambulance was part of a larger fundraising effort that included a mini-marathon and a charity event held in collaboration with Rawai Municipality.
Both events received significant support and funding from public and private sectors, allowing the Rotary Club of Andaman to successfully implement their project, he said.
The donated ambulance, valued at approximately B2.6 million, is equipped with advanced life-saving equipment meeting the ‘10G’ safety standards, Mayor Aroon explained in a post online.
The ambulance will serve residents, and tourists, in three subdistricts in the south of Phuket, significantly improving emergency response capabilities in the area, he said.
The donation of the ambulance follows a grievous public complaint by a Chinese tourist who was left with a broken shin bone in a parasail fall in February.
The Chinese woman posted a video describing her experience parasailing at Karon Beach, including the fact that the paragliding operator had called for an ambulance, but explained that he had been told it would take two hours for the ambulance to arrive due to traffic.