FATAL CRASH, PIER FIRE PROMPT MARINE SAFETY OVERHAUL

Sweeping new marine safety measures are to be imposed across Phuket following a deadly speedboat collision near Phi Phi Island and a major fire that destroyed dozens of tour boats in Chalong Bay within the space of a week, prompting authorities to acknowledge deep-rooted structural failures in the island's marine tourism sector.

- Natnaree Likidwatanasakun

Phuket Marine Office Director Adoon Raluekmoon, who took up the post only recently, said the two incidents – one claiming the life of a teenage tourist and the other causing more than B40 million in damage – exposed systemic weaknesses that can no longer be addressed through temporary or reactive measures.