The effectual ban on entering the waters applies to all beaches from Mai Khao down to Nai Harn and includes the popular tourist ones at Surin, Kamala, Patong, Karon and Kata. Swells triggered by the annual monsoon season cause dangerous rip tides.
Rip tides have been known to sweep people standing in shallow water off their feet and out to sea. Rip tides claim the lives of several tourists annually. Lifeguards say lives are needlessly lost and are a direct result of visitors ignoring red warning flags.
The Thai Meteorological Division issued the warning over the weekend. Despite the warning, lifeguards say swimmers are flaunting it and in lots of instances are swimming just meters away from red flags.
Many Phuket guesthouses and hotels come with swimming pools nowadays and local authorities say visitors should only sunbathe and stroll on beaches when red flags are flying. Phuket Island is one of Thailand’s tourism gems and 12GO ASIA’s transportation choices get you here cheaply and with the minimum of fuss.
Lifeguards say west Phuket beaches still dangerous for swimming
News in Asia
Lifeguard organisations say the sea at beaches on western Phuket is still too choppy and dangerous to swim in. They have asked all tourists and island residents to stay out of the sea on the Andaman Sea coast and warn that red flags mean it is too hazardous for swimming.