Phuket tourists to carry Globalstar SPOT Gen4 for safety. Photo: Globalstar

Globalstar is working with Thaicom and the Thailand Marine Department to deploy its SPOT Gen4 satellite trackers to provide safety and security for travelers on the island of Phuket. Globalstar announced the new deployment June 30, through its subsidiary, Globalstar Europe Satellite Services.

Phuket has recently been opened for vaccinated Thai and foreign travellers, with no need for quarantine, a  development expected to give Thai tourism a boost. Tourism has suffered from the impact of COVID-19 but also from high-profile criminal incidents involving foreign tourists.

Globalstar said the SPOT Gen4 trackers will help authorities and first responders improve the speed and effectiveness of emergency rescue operations if a vessel capsizes or sinks, or if a passenger has a medical emergency. Phuket and surrounding islands typically welcome 20,000 visitors daily. A pilot is underway to equip visitors with the trackers.

Local government regulations have also been introduced which would mandate that all tourists in Phuket carry a tracking device at all times, onshore or on water.

This project is the first milestone in a new partnership between Globalstar and Thaicom. At the end of March, Thaicom and Globalstar inked an agreement to develop and operate ground station facilities at Thaicom’s Teleport Center in Pathumthani Province for Globalstar’s LEO satellite constellation. The infrastructure and services of the ground station will support Globalstar services in the region to commercialize safety and security services and solutions to support tourism as well as the region’s maritime industry.

“Today, government and industry are coming together in Thailand to deliver on our common objective to support the tourism industry, so fundamental to our economy, and our shared commitment to enhance communications capability in our region through advanced satellite communications, Our collaboration with Globalstar will be a major driver on the roadmap to revitalize tourism, and also to develop new communications solutions which will benefit businesses and communities,” Patompob (Nile) Suwansiri, Thaicom’s CEO, said in a statement.