He carried on by saying all vests sold nationwide, including on Phuket Island, had to be able to provide no less than 100 Newtons of buoyancy. This is the minimum needed for the lifejacket to roll the wearer over if he or she loses consciousness while floating in the water.
The vests also have to be produced from a selected list of permitted materials. The jackets all have to have 10-centimetre² labels inbuilt specifying they comply with the new safety standards too. Online retailer Lazada already has a stock of the lifejackets and has supplied an image of one for today’s news article.
Chief Sirisaiyat says Phuket Marine Department inspectors will be checking lifejackets conform to the required standards during the annual inspections of boats. He finished off by saying the new rules were effective from 1 January so all vessels should be equipped with the new safety equipment by 2019.
12GO ASIA’s travel team in Thailand says that by the deadline passengers boarding ferries, longtail boats and sightseeing boats should all be given access to lifejackets bearing the Marine Department seal of approval. The rules are likely to be applied to those taking part in adventure activities such as kayaking as well.
Phuket Marine Department introduces new boat lifejacket rules
News in Asia
The head of the Marine Department for Phuket says new regulations governing lifejackets in Thailand were introduced on New Year’s Day. Surat Sirisaiyat explained that safety officers had collaborated with suppliers in standardising lifejackets.