Boating accidents are not common here in Thailand, but they do happen once in a while, and every time they do people scream that there is not enough law enforcement in Thailand. In this, they are correct. Anyone who has spent any amount of time in this country knows that law enforcement is virtually non-existent, and like it or not this is not going to change any time soon. Instead of trying to change something that is so ingrained it has become almost unchangeable we have to consider other solutions.

One solution begins with you, the consumer. In most Western countries, boat safety standards are high. Transportation costs are also high. What would you pay for a 50-kilometre boat passage in Scandinavia? Here a trip such as this often costs less than 200 Thai baht.

I get frustrated by the attitudes of people who want to go on a diving trip, yacht tour, or island ferry, as people will spend hours looking around for the best price--too often the only factor they consider--with no regard for facilities or safety features. The fact is, safety equipment costs money: marine radios, EPIRBs, life rafts, GPSs, life preservers, and signalling devices all cost more here than they do in other countries. People comment that boat tours seem expensive here. My reaction is: “Compared to where? To home?” They say no, but it still seems expensive “because this is Thailand”. I then ask them what component of the boat or trip they would like me to remove to make it cheaper? The navigation system? The radios? The life vests and rafts? The experienced crew? About this time they call me a jerk and walk out. So much for that sale.

I’m joking of course here, but there is an element of truth to the concept, and most tour operators have heard this more times than they care to remember. I’m not trying to defend the prices people charge for trips, but I am trying to say that you often get what you pay for.

If someone spends 500 baht for a six and one-half hour boat journey, should they be surprised that the boat is overloaded and lacking in safety equipment? Why, if you were concerned about safety, would you even board a boat such as this? To quote a friend: “If you pay a refugee price, you get a refugee boat. ”

One way to change the safety practices here in Thailand is to hit the operators in the pocketbook. When you book a trip, demand to know what safety equipment the boat has. If the answer is not satisfactory, leave.

When you board a boat, ask to see the safety equipment. If it is not available, leave the boat, demand a refund, and contact the Tourism Authority of Thailand. People here do understand business. If you threaten people’s livelihood, change will come. It may be slow, but it’s faster than waiting for the government to take action. And, it’s something that you can do to help make real change, starting today.