The man, named by police as Xu Weixiang, 44, was pulled from the water at Laomoodee Bay about 4pm. He was taken to the holiday island's small hospital but did not respond to treatment. Exceptionally high numbers of Chinese tourists drown or die from preexisting conditions while on snorkelling trips to Phi Phi or to other islands off Phuket, including Koh Racha, an island about 40 minutes away by speedboat. One problem that has yet to be addressed by local authorities and tour groups is that Chinese tourists are often inexperienced in the water and do not know how to use snorkels. The result is that some tourists drown face-down in the water without making a great deal of noise or generating a response from tour guides and boat boys, who often do not see playing lifeguards to tourists as part of their role. The man's body was transferred to the morgue at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket City late today.