A Phuket Tourist Police volunteer is hoping to lower the number of drowning incidents at the popular island vacation destination.
Simon Luttrell has gifted multi-language beach warning signs to beach lifeguards to help them communicate to vacationers the dangers of the rip current at the the island's beaches, according to the Phuket Gazette.
Lutrell, who assists foreigners at Phuket International Airport and at local hotels, designed, printed and laminated the cards using his own money.
Available in English, Russian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean, he passed out the cards to lifeguard stations at all Phuket beaches.
“Every year, tourists drown at Phuket beaches,” he told the news agency. “From the reports of these incidents, it seems that some foreign tourists do not understand the potential dangers of strong waves and rip currents – and some tourists choose to ignore these dangers.
If this card can reduce the number of drownings, then it is my money well spent,” he added.
These are not the first set of cards Lutterll has developed. He also distributes “Have a Happy Holiday” cards, which highlight six areas of concerns for tourists vacationing in Phuket: rip tides and beach flag colors; pickpockets; jet-skis; riding motorbikes; respect for environment and cultural sensitivities; and attire when away from the beach. Read More
