Of late there have been up to 5 drowning deaths in the patrolled beaches of Phuket.
In all instances the person has been pulled from the surf either dead or not been able to be rescucitated. Perhaos they are pulling out many that we do not hear about and the strike rate is good for lives saved. 5 is still to many. But I tend in my critical opinion believe that they are not diligent enough. They have jet skis to assist and patrol but these seem to be used in just bringing the victims back to shore and not out the back looking for people in rough conditions. Not wanting to compare these guys to the australian lifesavers but some basics seem to be missing. Knowing who is in the water, enforcing closed areas and just plain watching whats happening out in the waves instead of looking pretty on the sand and just being a wood duck. Maybe i am wrong and would hope to be corrected. Might just be lack of training. More emphasis on beach awareness and safety instead of where Tuk Tuk's park might be warranted.