Crews trying to salvage a sunken tourist boat have, once again, been left frustrated. The ship was not raised today as promised, although new equipment from Singapore will hopefully help. The tourist boat sank off Thailand's coast, killing nearly 50. As families demand answers, many tourists are choosing to go elsewhere. Tony Cheng reports.

From the air, the waters off the southern tip of Phuket look calm and placid. Very little traffic too, these busy waterways had been cleared for the raising of the Phoenix. The giant Singaporean crane was lumbering into place, but the rapid lift promised by the Thai authorities never materialized.

TONY CHENG PHUKET "The salvage crane is now slowly getting into position but when we spoke to the salvage team yesterday they said they hoped to raise the boat by 8 am. That's clearly not going to happen. The seas are considerably more choppy than they were yesterday although for a crane of this size that shouldn't make a significant difference."

The Phoenix disaster has had a dramatic impact, however, at the governor's mansion, assembled members of the Islands civilian administration and security services. A meeting to discuss new safety measures across the island, not just on the high seas, to make tourists, particularly those from China, feel safe. For the chief administrator in the area, a sharp fall in arrivals from China is a very big problem on an Island whose revenue is solely derived from tourism.

PAKKHAPONG TAWIWAT GOVERNOR OF PHUKET "After the Phoenix incident in July, from the information we've gathered we've found that tourist numbers from China are decreasing."

On the Islands famous Patong beach, the Chinese flag was flying high, but looking faded and torn. Certainly, far fewer Chinese visitors than there have been in recent years when China has delivered the largest number of arrivals to Thailand. But these tourists hadn't been deterred.

TOURIST "I don't feel any danger. I try to avoid those dangerous activities at sea."

TOURIST "I haven't felt any danger yet because the hotel is very close and the surrounding environment is ok."

Thailand's tourist industry has weathered many storms. But Chinese visitor numbers have continued to rise. If they now turn away because of the mishandling of the Phoenix disaster, the impact will be profound. Tony Cheng, CGTN, Phuket.