Enhanced Maritime Assistance Measures for Tourists and Cruise Ships
Seven provinces in the Andaman region, including Phuket, Krabi, Phangnga, Ranong, Trang, and Satun, have proposed strengthening maritime assistance measures for tourists and cruise ships. The goal is to boost confidence in the safety of the region. Rear Admiral Chaiyanan Chumai, spokesman of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai-MECC), shared this development after an annual Thai-MECC board meeting.
The meeting, chaired by navy chief Admiral Choengchai Chomchoengpaet, focused on boosting measures to provide better assistance to tourists and attract more cruise services, such as Spectrum of the Seas, to Phuket.
Thai-MECC and IMO Collaboration for Maritime Tourism
The Thai-MECC will supervise maritime tourism, with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) ensuring that the safety of maritime routes and tourism will be improved. The collaboration aims to ensure rapid response to any accidents and maintain secure maritime routes.
The arrival of more cruise ships is expected to significantly increase the economic value of Phuket, attracting more than 10,000 tourists per day. Each tourist is estimated to spend at least 6,500 baht on the island. In 2022, Phuket earned over 1.3 billion baht in revenue.
Additional Guidelines and Emergency Drills
The Thai-MECC has also introduced guidelines to provide equipment for the nation’s armed forces in the six Andaman provinces. Navy chief Admiral Choengchai Chomchoengpaet has personally supervised emergency drills and mandated rapid response to maritime accidents. Measures have also been implemented to prevent oil spills in the region.
Krabi Governor Pasakorn Boonyalak urged the Thai-MECC to serve as a coordinator and collaborate with each agency to further enhance maritime safety measures.
Boost in Tourism Expected with Free-Visa Policy
With the introduction of a free-visa policy for tourists from China and other countries, the province of Krabi expects to see around 3.5 million tourists during the peak season at the end of this year. Most tourists in Krabi are from Malaysia, followed by countries in Europe, Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The province hopes to attract more Chinese tourist groups in the future.
