TRANG, 26 January 2018 (NNT) – The Marine Department has declared legal requirements of upgraded life vests on board passenger boats for safety reasons.

Trang Provincial Marine Office Director Commander Chatkul Wanitchchanat revealed the Marine Department has issued a new regulation on the upgrading of life vests aboard passenger boats in Thailand, requiring all passenger boats to carry certified life vests according to the department's designated specs or international standards in order to ensure maximum safety.

The new requirement has been effective since 1 January 2018, while the Marine Department expects all vessels to change their life vests to comply with the new regulation by the end of 2020.

The new requirement as safety measure comes after the finding of substandard life vests being used at tourist attractions, and has been developed under cooperation with domestic life vest manufacturers in keeping with international standards. The new requirement calls for all live vests to provide no less than 100 newton floatation power, allowing the users to keep their face up and keep their mouth away from the water surface for at least 10 seconds even if they might be unconscious.

National News Bureau Of Thailand | Marine Department requires upgraded life vests on board passenger boats