Phuket’s ‘Brother Helps Younger Brother’ initiative: Keeping lives afloat with recycled life jackets

In a bid to buoy up water safety standards in Phuket, the Phuket Regional Harbour Office has launched a heartwarming initiative with recycled life jackets aptly named Brother Helps Younger Brother. This campaign is steering towards recycling and repurposing marine equipment, particularly life jackets, to extend their serviceable life and save lives in potential accidents.

The campaign takes a two-pronged approach. Firstly, the office is appealing to operators who’ve mothballed their businesses, encouraging them to relinquish marine equipment that can still play a pivotal role in ensuring safety at sea. This proactive outreach ensures that functional equipment doesn’t go to waste.

Natchapong, a spokesperson for the initiative, passionately revealed its purpose.

“We aim to enhance water safety standards in Phuket, and in doing so, we hope to be the lifeline that saves lives during unforeseen mishaps.”

The heart of the initiative lies in the generous donations of life jackets to two distinct groups. The Cobia Farming Community Enterprise Group at Village 6 in Ban Laem Sai, Thalang District, was the initial beneficiary, receiving 38 life jackets. The handover ceremony was graced by the village headman and an academic representative from the Prince of Songkla University, Phuket Campus.

The second group to benefit was a community of long boat operators at Rawai Beach, who gratefully accepted a substantial donation of 65 life jackets, as reported by The Phuket News.

In related news, heightened security measures have been put in place at major piers and marinas across Phuket, in anticipation of a significant surge in tourist arrivals in Thailand. This move underscores the region’s commitment to safeguarding both locals and visitors.

For those eager to participate in or learn more about this heartening donation process, whether as individuals or organisations, the Phuket Regional Harbour Office can be reached at 076 391 174 or via email at phuket@md.go.th. For a deeper dive, visit their official website: https://www.md.go.th/khet5/ph.

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