Beach and Boat Safety

Strong seasonal undercurrents at popular beach resorts pose a some-times-fatal threat to surfers and swimmers. During the monsoon season from May through October, drowning is the leading cause of death for tourists visiting the resort island of Phuket. Some, but not all, beaches have warning flags to indicate the degree of risk (red flag: sea condition dangerous for swimming; yellow flag: sea condition rough, swim with caution; green flag: sea condition stable).

Also, boat safety has become an increasing concern in Thailand. Ferries and speedboats used to transport tourists and local nationals to and from the many islands off the Thai mainland are often overcrowded and carry insufficient safety equipment. In January 2005, three U.S. citizen tourists died when the over-crowded speedboat they were in capsized and sank off the coast of Koh Samui. Three month later, two British narrowly escaped death when their dive boat sank off the coast near Phuket. We would like to encourages you to avoid travel on overcrowded boats, and to ensure that proper safety equipment (including life preservers) is available before boarding any boat or ferry.