The initiative, announced during a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Jan 11), aims to address safety concerns in the wake of the tragic incident.
The Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, headquartered at Cape Panwa, will oversee the ‘Phuket Province Maritime Tourist Security Command Center’, said an official report of the meeting.
The meeting highlighted the incident involving the ’Apirak 89’ on Dec 31, when the boat operator lost control and slammed into rocks at Koh Maiton, resulting in the tragic death of 5-year-old Russian girl Liza Pak and resulted in serious injuries to five others, the report said.
The report gave no update on the condition of the five seriously injured.
In response, Governor Sophon issued Order No. 001/2024 on Jan 9 to establish the ‘Phuket Province Maritime Tourist Security Command Center’, confirmed the report..
The command center will consist of various departments, each headed by key figures responsible for specific aspects of maritime safety.
Among the agencies to play key roles in the operation of the centre are the Phuket Marine Office; the Phuket office of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE Phuket); the Phuket branch of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket); the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO); and the Phuket office of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MoTS Phuket).
A vice governor will be assigned the role of investigating business operators, the report, said.
During the meeting, each agency was tasked with developing an incident response plan, ensuring preparedness at every level. Emphasis was placed on creating a comprehensive plan to prevent and assist victims of marine tourism disasters.
The collaborative effort aims to streamline communication and operational guidelines across all sectors, fostering a unified approach to maritime defense and effective disaster response at sea, said the report.
The move comes as part of a broader strategy to enhance safety measures and restore confidence in the tourism image of Phuket, the report added.