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Happyman · 06-09-2008, 03:15 AM

Park chiefs hamper Navy plans for emergency helipads

PHUKET CITY: The Royal Thai Navy’s Third Fleet wants to build a network of helicopter landing pads on outlying islands so that tourists needing emergency medical treatment can be brought back to Phuket faster.

Rear-Admiral Supot Pruksa of the Third Naval Area Command announced the initiative yesterday following his opening address at a two-day maritime safety meeting attended by 60 naval officers at the Phuket Merlin Hotel.

All attendees are based in the six Andaman Coast provinces that comprise the Third Area Command, centered at the naval base at Cape Panwa.

The meeting is being held to update officers on progress made and integrating procedures of the Third Fleet’s five-year Maritime Safety Plan, launched in 2006.

Navy efforts to increase tourist safety in the Andaman region came after the 2004 tsunami, when staff were posted at new facilities in Patong, on Koh Lanta Noi in Krabi and at both the Similan and Surin archipelagos off the coasts of Phang Nga and Ranong.

Citing the example of a Russian tourist who was airlifted to Phuket after being bitten by a fish while diving off the Similans in May last year, R/Adm Supot said that setting up landing pads for helicopters was the next logical step in the safety plan.

One landing pad has been built at the Surin Islands, but additional landing pads are needed there and at other popular tourist destinations, including the Similans and Koh Lanta Noi, he said

However, the National Parks officials responsible for these islands have been reluctant to allow more than 300 square meters of park land to be covered with asphalt to accommodate the 20-meter-diameter landing pads, he added.

“They say it will hurt the environment and destroy the scenery, but I think it is worth it in order improve our emergency response capacity,” he said.

The cost of each landing pad, about 60,000 baht, would be covered by the Navy, he said.

The Navy already has permission to build a helipad at Similan Island 8, but would prefer to site the helipad on Island 4, which is visited by many more tourists.

“We are in disagreement with them over that, but in the end I hope we can build it there. We would build it in an area that would not block beautiful views,” he said.

If the emergency helipad project is successful, injured tourists could be airlifted to Phuket in just 20 minutes, he said.

Getting injured tourists back to Phuket from the Similans can take up to four hours when seas are heavy, he added.

Phuket Gazette 5 Sept

I would have thought that anything to improve the safety and therefore encourage tourists to the much vaunted prime dive site in the Andaman would be an asset !( especially at 60,000 baht a pop!)
The yellow highlighted ( Highlit?

) bit re Island No 8 is undoubtedly due to the fact that a certain member of the top mans family has a hideaway there.

Surely not !!!

jandajoy · 06-09-2008, 03:17 AM

60,000 ??? maybe missing a zero there?

Happyman · 06-09-2008, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jandajoy

60,000 ??? maybe missing a zero there?

That's the figure quoted in the Phuket Gazette !

jandajoy · 06-09-2008, 03:22 AM

So be it, but look at the size of the pad, minimum 10-15 cm thick. Add reo and then transport it all out there.

Happyman · 06-09-2008, 03:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jandajoy

So be it, but look at the size of the pad, minimum 10-15 cm thick. Add reo and then transport it all out there.

Agree- but labour would be Navy conscripts and transport would be probably done as a training exercise

Point I was making is that the Parks people are only interested in the 200 baht/day/person they charge and do not want any other authority getting a foothold !
( Except deferring to higher up of course)

I know the islands well and there are many places on at least 3 of them that could accommodate a helipad without distracting from the scenery.

jandajoy · 06-09-2008, 03:38 AM

Mate, not disagreeing with you at all. Bloody good idea. You can slip a pad in anywhere and you're not going to muck up much in the way of the environment, especially as, hopefully, it won't get used that often.

Happyman · 06-09-2008, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jandajoy

Mate, not disagreeing with you at all. Bloody good idea. You can slip a pad in anywhere and you're not going to muck up much in the way of the environment, especially as, hopefully, it won't get used that often.

Was that bit about Island 8 that got me thinking !!

El Gibbon · 06-09-2008, 04:43 PM

Hmmm seems to me we (Happyman and I ) have both seen a chopper landing there on #8......

Could be wrong as memory is of 8 or ten years ago on one of our fishing forays to the area. Seems we were fishing around Elephant rock [(illegally of course) for a fish of the type HE has never caught.... Something RUnner eh bro? ] and observed one of Thailand's finest pilots.

Rainbow Runner as I recall... lololol

Get one yet????

E. G.

Texpat · 06-09-2008, 04:51 PM

Any decent helo pilot can land on a beach or in a clear parking lot -- as long as they're marked and kept clear of obstructions.

My cynical guess is these hubs are more for the generals to shuttle around the islands than for any injured tourist.

jandajoy · 06-09-2008, 04:56 PM

Any reason why the military can't run tourists out to the islands. A bit of paint over the decals, civies, cash in hand.

A couple of blokes at each pad with an eski of cold beer at vastly inflated prices....

A nice little earner.

MisterStretch · 06-09-2008, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happyman

The Royal Thai Navy’s Third Fleet wants to build a network of helicopter landing pads on outlying islands so that tourists needing emergency medical treatment can be brought back to Phuket faster.

Horseshit. It's a ploy to line pockets. What a crock of crap.

Nawty · 06-09-2008, 07:26 PM

You really don't need anything much bigger than double this size and seeing as they are islands, same as where this one was located, you only need an area to the side of the heli big enough to stand and manouvre a stretcher if required and possible a walkway to it dependant on its exact location.

The frequency of its use will certainly not require huge 3/400sqm tarmacs.

Probably used by military and police for fishing trips more often than not.

jandajoy · 06-09-2008, 07:33 PM

Were they gonna put the bar?

Happyman · 06-09-2008, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Gibbon

Hmmm seems to me we (Happyman and I ) have both seen a chopper landing there on #8......

Could be wrong as memory is of 8 or ten years ago on one of our fishing forays to the area. Seems we were fishing around Elephant rock [(illegally of course) for a fish of the type HE has never caught.... Something RUnner eh bro? ] and observed one of Thailand's finest pilots.

Rainbow Runner as I recall... lololol

Get one yet????

E. G.

NO !!!

06-09-2008, 03:15 AM	#1 (permalink)
Happyman Elite Member Last Online: Today 02:24 AM Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Rawai Phuket Posts: 2,888	Helipads Park chiefs hamper Navy plans for emergency helipads PHUKET CITY: The Royal Thai Navy’s Third Fleet wants to build a network of helicopter landing pads on outlying islands so that tourists needing emergency medical treatment can be brought back to Phuket faster. Rear-Admiral Supot Pruksa of the Third Naval Area Command announced the initiative yesterday following his opening address at a two-day maritime safety meeting attended by 60 naval officers at the Phuket Merlin Hotel. All attendees are based in the six Andaman Coast provinces that comprise the Third Area Command, centered at the naval base at Cape Panwa. The meeting is being held to update officers on progress made and integrating procedures of the Third Fleet’s five-year Maritime Safety Plan, launched in 2006. Navy efforts to increase tourist safety in the Andaman region came after the 2004 tsunami, when staff were posted at new facilities in Patong, on Koh Lanta Noi in Krabi and at both the Similan and Surin archipelagos off the coasts of Phang Nga and Ranong. Citing the example of a Russian tourist who was airlifted to Phuket after being bitten by a fish while diving off the Similans in May last year, R/Adm Supot said that setting up landing pads for helicopters was the next logical step in the safety plan. One landing pad has been built at the Surin Islands, but additional landing pads are needed there and at other popular tourist destinations, including the Similans and Koh Lanta Noi, he said However, the National Parks officials responsible for these islands have been reluctant to allow more than 300 square meters of park land to be covered with asphalt to accommodate the 20-meter-diameter landing pads, he added. “They say it will hurt the environment and destroy the scenery, but I think it is worth it in order improve our emergency response capacity,” he said. The cost of each landing pad, about 60,000 baht, would be covered by the Navy, he said. The Navy already has permission to build a helipad at Similan Island 8, but would prefer to site the helipad on Island 4, which is visited by many more tourists. “We are in disagreement with them over that, but in the end I hope we can build it there. We would build it in an area that would not block beautiful views,” he said. If the emergency helipad project is successful, injured tourists could be airlifted to Phuket in just 20 minutes, he said. Getting injured tourists back to Phuket from the Similans can take up to four hours when seas are heavy, he added. Phuket Gazette 5 Sept I would have thought that anything to improve the safety and therefore encourage tourists to the much vaunted prime dive site in the Andaman would be an asset !( especially at 60,000 baht a pop!) The yellow highlighted ( Highlit? ) bit re Island No 8 is undoubtedly due to the fact that a certain member of the top mans family has a hideaway there. Surely not !!!

06-09-2008, 04:43 PM	#8 (permalink)
El Gibbon Elite Member Last Online: Yesterday 04:00 PM Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Samut Phrakon Posts: 1,554	Hmmm seems to me we (Happyman and I ) have both seen a chopper landing there on #8...... Could be wrong as memory is of 8 or ten years ago on one of our fishing forays to the area. Seems we were fishing around Elephant rock [(illegally of course) for a fish of the type HE has never caught.... Something RUnner eh bro? ] and observed one of Thailand's finest pilots. Rainbow Runner as I recall... lololol Get one yet???? E. G. __________________ "If you can't stand the answer -- Don't ask the question!" To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

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06-09-2008, 03:17 AM	#2 (permalink)
jandajoy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: out bush Chiang Rai way Posts: 8,557	60,000 ??? maybe missing a zero there?

06-09-2008, 03:22 AM	#4 (permalink)
jandajoy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: out bush Chiang Rai way Posts: 8,557	So be it, but look at the size of the pad, minimum 10-15 cm thick. Add reo and then transport it all out there.

06-09-2008, 03:38 AM	#6 (permalink)
jandajoy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: out bush Chiang Rai way Posts: 8,557	Mate, not disagreeing with you at all. Bloody good idea. You can slip a pad in anywhere and you're not going to muck up much in the way of the environment, especially as, hopefully, it won't get used that often.

06-09-2008, 04:51 PM	#9 (permalink)
Texpat ฝรั่งพูดมาก Last Online: Today 08:11 AM Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Nong Khai Posts: 9,772	Any decent helo pilot can land on a beach or in a clear parking lot -- as long as they're marked and kept clear of obstructions. My cynical guess is these hubs are more for the generals to shuttle around the islands than for any injured tourist.

06-09-2008, 04:56 PM	#10 (permalink)
jandajoy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: out bush Chiang Rai way Posts: 8,557	Any reason why the military can't run tourists out to the islands. A bit of paint over the decals, civies, cash in hand. A couple of blokes at each pad with an eski of cold beer at vastly inflated prices.... A nice little earner.

06-09-2008, 07:26 PM	#12 (permalink)
Nawty Elite Member Last Online: Today 07:26 AM Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,977	You really don't need anything much bigger than double this size and seeing as they are islands, same as where this one was located, you only need an area to the side of the heli big enough to stand and manouvre a stretcher if required and possible a walkway to it dependant on its exact location. The frequency of its use will certainly not require huge 3/400sqm tarmacs. Probably used by military and police for fishing trips more often than not.

06-09-2008, 07:33 PM	#13 (permalink)
jandajoy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: out bush Chiang Rai way Posts: 8,557	Were they gonna put the bar?

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