A number of recent speedboat accidents that have caused injuries to tourists have prompted officials to speed up the introduction of stricter safety measures in order to restore confidence.

Officials in Krabi and Phuket have tabled plans to make rescue boats and crews available for quick response around the clock in case accidents occur. Many tourists rely on speedboats for their trips to scenic islets.

A picture of the speedboat King Poseidon 959 engulfed in flames was splashed across the front pages of numerous websites and newspapers last week. Sixteen Thai and Chinese tourists were wounded during the incident. They were enjoying an excursion from Phuket to Viking Cape in Krabi near Phi Phi Le islet on Jan 14.

Tourists' confidence over speedboat services plummeted further when two vessels collided near Royal Phuket Marina in Phuket's Muang district two days later, injuring five Italians and one Thai.

At the meeting, authorities acknowledged the need to do better in terms of both responding to and preventing such incidents.

They agreed to several new measures. Security cameras must be installed on every pier. Boat maintenance must be monitored to meet a set of agreed standards. Drivers and crews must be in good shape. All passenger information, including their identities and destinations, must also be gathered and kept in a database for quick reference in the wake of an accident.

The last measure will allow officials to quickly reach the families of those who may be injured, and also reassure families whose relatives were not involved, said Pracha Atsawathira, manager of Digital Economy Promotion Agency's branch office in Phuket.

His office was asked to help design the database system and contribute ideas to modernise protocol for the local trips which are essential to attracting tourists to the region.

So far, around 2,000 speedboats in Phuket and 500 in Krabi have been registered and meet safety requirements.

"If a boat is deemed unsafe, it cannot leave the pier," said Krabi police chief Pol Maj Gen Bunthawi Toraksa, who also attended the meeting.

Investigations are still under way to find the causes of the explosion and the collision.