Governor Sophon Suwannarat last Friday (Sept 12) presided over the opening of the ‘Phuket Road Safety Guidelines for Locals and Tourists’ seminar at The Pago Design Hotel north of Phuket Town.
The seminar brought together officials, diplomats, and tourism stakeholders, including the Honorary Consul of China in Phuket, representatives of tour guide associations, car rental operators, public transport drivers and local youths.
Also attending were Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Pol Col Phasakon Sonthikul, Sustainable Tourism Development Foundation President Phumikit Raktaengam, Phuket Provincial Transport Office academic head Kulthida Uboonkun and Chalong Hospital Director Dr Chuchat Nijwatana.
Discussions covered traffic law enforcement, accident statistics in tourist areas, the role of the private sector in setting safety standards, supervision of transport and hotel operators, and the promotion of international driving licences.
Governor Sophon stressed that road accidents remain a critical national issue, costing Thailand an estimated B500 billion annually in economic losses, according to the World Health Organisation.
“All sectors must work together seriously and continuously to reach the target of reducing road fatalities to no more than 12 per 100,000 population by 2027,” he said.
Project manager and Phuket Public Relations Chief Sophon Kiemkarn explained that the programme aligns with the government’s Road Safety Master Plan 2022–2027, which names accident prevention and reduction as a national priority. The Phuket initiative is supported by the Department of Land Transport’s Road Safety Fund.
“As an international tourism hub with heavy traffic and a rising accident rate, Phuket must build awareness and a culture of road safety across every sector,” Mr Sophon said.
The seminar followed another road safety campaign launched last Thursday (Sept 11), when Tourist Police Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Saksira Pheuak-um led the ‘Helmet Campaign to Reduce Road Accidents and Promote Safe Riding for Tourists’ at Cherng Talay Municipality.
The campaign, supported by the Phuket Provincial Police, the British Embassy, the Chinese Consulate, CP All, Laguna Phuket and local businesses focused on promoting helmet use among riders and passengers. Helmets were distributed to tourists and local residents, alongside education sessions on safe riding practices.
Pol Lt Gen Saksira said that helmets significantly reduce the severity of injuries and help create a culture of safety that strengthens Thailand’s image as a safe destination.
“Wearing helmets not only saves lives, but also builds confidence among visitors,” he said, thanking all partner organisations for their cooperation.
According to national road safety agency Thai RSC, Phuket has suffered 87 deaths and 19,635 people injured in road accidents already this year.
At the time of posting this news article, one person had died and a further 29 people had been injured just today (Sept 16).