16 million Baht budget for second lifeguard auction
The OrBorJor Phuket has announced it will launch another auction to supply Phuket lifeguard services offering a budget of 16 million Baht. The date shall be confirmed within this month.
Meanwhile, Satien Kaewpraprab, deputy secretary of the OrBorJor Phuket revealed that the organisation has been hiring individual lifeguards to station at 7 beaches which started on November 1, including Nai Harn Beach, Yanui Beach, Kamala Beach, Patong Beach, Surin Beach, Bangtao Beach, Nai Thorn Beach and Maikhao Beach. The total number of lifeguards at the 24 spots around the 7 beaches is 63 people.
However for Kata, Karon and Nai Yang Beach the OrBorJor is still searching for individual lifeguards which will add another 32 people to the lifeguard roster employed by the OrBorJor. Currently only Royal Thai Navy officers, Civil Defense volunteers and Tourist Security Guard volunteers are servicing those three beaches.
“We believe that this second round will get more people interested in tendering during the auction. However if there’s no new contractors tendering we have already found a solution for it by hiring individual lifeguards as we are doing now,” said Satien.
He noted that for the next budget year the OrBorJor is planning with the local administration offices to let them run their own tender auction to provide lifeguards in their areas which is one way to avoid the same issue – trying to find a single contractor for all the island’s beaches.
“We believe that the problem won’t happen again as we have discussed with the local administration offices and we will support them with the budget while allowing them to hire lifeguards by themselves.”
