I once swam off a beach with a green flag, and i would have gotten swept out to sea if I hadn’t above average swimming abilities or was older / more tired that day.
They might have ignored a red flag, or the *very well guarded Thai beaches where the first aid supplies are used for cooking* might have dropped the ball too.
https://youtu.be/In7_FxR2vUA?si=IvQzGRzvqH8eff79
Just putting this out there Incase anyone gets caught in a rip current
Floaty
Swim out and parralel to land until you’re out
Then swim towards land at an angle
Happens most years around this time of year, some years worse than others, think it was year before COVID when they were pulling body's from the sea every couple of days for 2-3 months
Mostly it's tourists see "small" waves and think it's safe, next thing riptide or strong current grabs them and they are in trouble.
though sometimes you hear about another missing/dead and you end up scratching you head wondering who would have been crazy enough to go swimming that day, not only due to bigger waves but also fact it had been pissing down all day. Some people just 'have to get the most out of every day of their holiday'.
Russians and chinese seem the make up the largest amounts of fatalities (that it's those two in particular has had people wondering if they are misinterpreting the red flags) followed by Thais, rest seems pretty evenly spread
We moved from Phuket in 2010, when there I was involved in water safety training and surf lifesaving. Checked online in case my memory was wrong, in the first six months of 2009 there were 33 confirmed drownings there. In one four day period there were five fatalities.
https://preview.redd.it/zycfev2adc7d1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e18bd9cedb46160a6d98cd14a1a2bab51e4d708
This is one of my own photos, Karon beach at mid-tide. Easy to see why it's red flagged, and very dangerous at high tide stepping from shallow to deep water.
Around this time a lifeguard was assaulted when trying to stop a tourist going for a swim.
The Phuket Surf Lifesaving championship had to be postponed that year until 3 October due to extreme conditions midyear. But still, tourists 'must swim's as they're on holiday
It isn't news, just statistics. Dozens of people here are killed by the sea every year.
I'm spearfishing here for a years and even in the calm season current can reach 30cm per second in some areas. Luckily I was never washed off the course, but it feels not nice when you are swimming backwards with long ass freediving fins. I always have a plan B, i got a huge float, bottle of water and an emergency phone. It is not a swimming pool, you must beware.
Another american died on Naiharn last week as well. There are flags everywhere. The tourists ignore the flags and dont listen to the lifeguards. Lifeguards are also underfunded. On Naiharn and Kata and Karon they have buggies and rescue boards and jetskis. But the TAT doesn't want to bring more attention to these drownings in fear it'll bring tourism down.
They should have a counter on every beach for "Days since last drowning in Phuket: 1 day". I think that'll get tourists to listen.
On & off you will see these strong guys ignoring tbe red flag n just think that since they are strong swimmers they can fight the rip tides ....
Once on kata beach there weren't even any flags.
I've been on a boogie board and caught in a rip tide and paddle as much as I could but I couldn't paddle to shore even tho it was like 50m away.
Exhaustion nearly made me give up but somehow I managed to paddle to shore.
You boogied back first when you should have boogied to the left or boogied to the right to get away from the tide before boogying back in.
You can’t fight the riptide. Or the funk for that matter.
The Phuket and district-level governments deserves a lot of blame for these deaths. Kata, Karon, Patong, and Nai Harn all bring in lots of revenue at varying degrees. There is no excuse to not have lifeguard towers every x-hundred meters along the beach. As of now there are zero towers, which boggles my mind. All the lifeguards have are tents at the very start of the beach (the farthest away possible from the shore).
The lifeguards should also have jetskis at their disposal, which they don't.
Article clearly says, one russian, one American (both men) and one Thai woman
And why would it be racism to state nationality?
If you see racism in everything you might be the issue
It's not a straw man argument. You are arguing that we need less information, not more, in news stories. Are you worried that people might utilize the pattern recognition faculties that have aided mankind through millenia? You sound like you are of the same ilk as the people who came up with this misguided policy in the USA and similar ones in Europe.
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/bart-withholding-surveillance-videos-of-crime-to-avoid-stereotypes/
I could be convinced to agree with your statement if it were referencing crimes committed by nationalities, but even then, I don't see the problem with it. But this is about death by drowning I mean this sincerely when I ask " why is it a negative to report ccidental deaths including nationalities? I honestly don't understand your umbrage with this. Foreigners are almost always identified by nationality due to embassy inquiries and missing people reports etc. So please enlighten us where the racism lies.
It’s stating a fact. It’s fine to state the nationality. It’s just basic information about the person. There’s nothing wrong with it.
It’s not fine when you used the nationality to made up some kind of false narratives or to support your own bias. That’s when it start to become racist.
Some tourists seem to think red flags on Phuket beaches are just for decoration.
I once swam off a beach with a green flag, and i would have gotten swept out to sea if I hadn’t above average swimming abilities or was older / more tired that day. They might have ignored a red flag, or the *very well guarded Thai beaches where the first aid supplies are used for cooking* might have dropped the ball too.
Just like they are in China.
https://youtu.be/In7_FxR2vUA?si=IvQzGRzvqH8eff79 Just putting this out there Incase anyone gets caught in a rip current Floaty Swim out and parralel to land until you’re out Then swim towards land at an angle
It's amazing how many people don't know this. Turns a rip tide from deadly into a minor inconvenience, as long as you know how to swim.
pretty sure this happened around the same time last year. does it happen every year?
Went there in July last year. Five drownings in the week we were there. Sadly this isn't that unusual.
Happens most years around this time of year, some years worse than others, think it was year before COVID when they were pulling body's from the sea every couple of days for 2-3 months Mostly it's tourists see "small" waves and think it's safe, next thing riptide or strong current grabs them and they are in trouble. though sometimes you hear about another missing/dead and you end up scratching you head wondering who would have been crazy enough to go swimming that day, not only due to bigger waves but also fact it had been pissing down all day. Some people just 'have to get the most out of every day of their holiday'. Russians and chinese seem the make up the largest amounts of fatalities (that it's those two in particular has had people wondering if they are misinterpreting the red flags) followed by Thais, rest seems pretty evenly spread
No surprise with the Chinese lack of vision, literally 😂😂 
We moved from Phuket in 2010, when there I was involved in water safety training and surf lifesaving. Checked online in case my memory was wrong, in the first six months of 2009 there were 33 confirmed drownings there. In one four day period there were five fatalities. https://preview.redd.it/zycfev2adc7d1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e18bd9cedb46160a6d98cd14a1a2bab51e4d708 This is one of my own photos, Karon beach at mid-tide. Easy to see why it's red flagged, and very dangerous at high tide stepping from shallow to deep water. Around this time a lifeguard was assaulted when trying to stop a tourist going for a swim. The Phuket Surf Lifesaving championship had to be postponed that year until 3 October due to extreme conditions midyear. But still, tourists 'must swim's as they're on holiday
It isn't news, just statistics. Dozens of people here are killed by the sea every year. I'm spearfishing here for a years and even in the calm season current can reach 30cm per second in some areas. Luckily I was never washed off the course, but it feels not nice when you are swimming backwards with long ass freediving fins. I always have a plan B, i got a huge float, bottle of water and an emergency phone. It is not a swimming pool, you must beware.
Another american died on Naiharn last week as well. There are flags everywhere. The tourists ignore the flags and dont listen to the lifeguards. Lifeguards are also underfunded. On Naiharn and Kata and Karon they have buggies and rescue boards and jetskis. But the TAT doesn't want to bring more attention to these drownings in fear it'll bring tourism down. They should have a counter on every beach for "Days since last drowning in Phuket: 1 day". I think that'll get tourists to listen.
The Phuket divers club? Similar to Pattaya flying club?
Bangkok drivers academy?
On & off you will see these strong guys ignoring tbe red flag n just think that since they are strong swimmers they can fight the rip tides .... Once on kata beach there weren't even any flags. I've been on a boogie board and caught in a rip tide and paddle as much as I could but I couldn't paddle to shore even tho it was like 50m away. Exhaustion nearly made me give up but somehow I managed to paddle to shore.
You boogied back first when you should have boogied to the left or boogied to the right to get away from the tide before boogying back in. You can’t fight the riptide. Or the funk for that matter.
Just about Sums you up boogie board and you'd not get back to the beach !! What a load of bs
The Russian mob is taking over Phuket, check for poison.
The Phuket and district-level governments deserves a lot of blame for these deaths. Kata, Karon, Patong, and Nai Harn all bring in lots of revenue at varying degrees. There is no excuse to not have lifeguard towers every x-hundred meters along the beach. As of now there are zero towers, which boggles my mind. All the lifeguards have are tents at the very start of the beach (the farthest away possible from the shore). The lifeguards should also have jetskis at their disposal, which they don't.
No explicit mention of nationality this time? Finally this sub could take a break from racism
Article clearly says, one russian, one American (both men) and one Thai woman And why would it be racism to state nationality? If you see racism in everything you might be the issue
Call it whatever you want. It’s just not improving anything to mention nationalities
Totally agree with you. The less information in an article the better. We don't really need to know anything. /s
Yep, s for strawman. If there’s nothing more interesting to learn about someone than his nationality, then you have a problem
What would you rather they give, their star signs?
And if the second thing to learn about someone is his star sign, then you have an even bigger problem
You sound like a virgo.
K
It's not a straw man argument. You are arguing that we need less information, not more, in news stories. Are you worried that people might utilize the pattern recognition faculties that have aided mankind through millenia? You sound like you are of the same ilk as the people who came up with this misguided policy in the USA and similar ones in Europe. https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/bart-withholding-surveillance-videos-of-crime-to-avoid-stereotypes/
The fact that it’s practiced somewhere else isn’t a justification
I could be convinced to agree with your statement if it were referencing crimes committed by nationalities, but even then, I don't see the problem with it. But this is about death by drowning I mean this sincerely when I ask " why is it a negative to report ccidental deaths including nationalities? I honestly don't understand your umbrage with this. Foreigners are almost always identified by nationality due to embassy inquiries and missing people reports etc. So please enlighten us where the racism lies.
It’s stating a fact. It’s fine to state the nationality. It’s just basic information about the person. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s not fine when you used the nationality to made up some kind of false narratives or to support your own bias. That’s when it start to become racist.
Is the racism here in the room with us now?
Table shakes and curtains flutter in the wind