Phuket beaches roped off after deadliest weekend

PHUKET: After Phuket’s deadliest drowning weekend, sections of Kata and Karon Beaches have been closed for the first time in the island’s history.

“This is the first time we have ever had to hang ropes up across the beach to prevent people from entering dangerous sections of the water. Some of the rip currents run strong across 20 to 30 meters of the beach, requiring the whole area to be roped off,” Phuket Lifeguard Club President Prathaiyut “Nut” Chuayuan told the Phuket Gazette.

Those interested in getting into the water are still allowed to enter at areas that are not roped off. However, Mr Prathayut advised against it.

“I suggest that nobody swims at the beaches right now,” he said.

Though the rope is helping some tourists realize how dangerous the surf is, with four dying in as many days within the past week (stories here and here), people are still sneaking past the ropes to swim, Mr Prathayut said.

“We have installed the ropes at Karon and Kata beaches first. We will see if others need them also,” Mr Prathaiyut said.

The deadliest period on Phuket’s beaches, which also saw lifeguards successfully pull 30 people from the water off Kata and Karon alone (story here), came just a month before the emergency extension to the lifeguards’ contract is set to expire, on July 27(story here).

— Chutharat Plerin