stuandchris Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 As a yatchtie I have tried to anchor there and come ashore for a meal and drink only to have twenty guys waving me away. Seems it is only for longtails. Anyone thinks all beaches are free here are in for a hard time. Do you think I am going to risk a 150,000 $ boat for a 200 THB meal and overpriced coke? If you argue the point you will win, then have no boat or tires to leave on. Amazing Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete600 Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 ...............................,-~*`¯lllllll`*~,............................................. ..... ...........................,-~*`lllllllllllllllllllllllllll¯`*-,.......................................... ......................,-~*llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll*-,...................................... ..................,-*llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.\... .................................. ................;*`lllllllllllllllllllllllllll,-~*~-,llllllllllllllllllll\.................................... ................\lllllllllllllllllllllllllll/...........\;;;;llllllllllll,-`~-,................................ .................\lllllllllllllllllllll,-*.............`~-~-,...(.(¯`*,`,............................... ...................\llllllllllll,-~*........................)_-\..*`*;..).............................. .....................\,-*`¯,*`)............,-~*`~................../............................... .....................|/.../.../~,......-~*,-~*`;.................../.\.............................. .................../.../..../..../..,-,..*~,.`*~*..................*...\.......................... ... ...................|.../.../..../.*`...\................................)....)¯`~,........... ......... ...................|./..../..../........).........)`*~-,............../.....|..)...`~-,.............. .................././.../....,*`-,.....`-,....*`....,---......\...../...../..|..........¯```*~-,,,, .................(............)`*~-,.....`*`.,-~*.,-*.......|.../..../..../...............\.......... ..................*-,.......`*-,...`~,..``.,,,-*.............|.,*...,*....|.................\......... ......................*,.........`-,....)-,..................,-*`...,-*.....(`-,..............\........ ........................f`-,........`-,/...*-,___,,-~*.....,-*......|....`-,...............\....... You have way to much free time on your hands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketrex Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 You have way to much free time on your hands 55555...copy and paste only takes a few seconds :-) As to the guy with the yacht trying to get to the beach maybe they were waving at you worried you might damage you boat on the coral reef close to the shore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ping Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Tri Trang is the one in front of the Merlin (rocky/not swimmable). I've been going to Paradise Beach for years and never been challenged (occasionally asked if I wanted a chair, but that was it). Food at the restaurant is very good value and a pleasant surprise with the prices - usually fairly busy. More and more people are starting to discover the place, particularly since the improvements to the track. The part of the track closer to the beach (before the steep decent) has always been private. Many years ago (before all the building was undertaken south of the Thaweewong Bridge and when the entire road from the bridge was just a rough dirt track), one could get there by 4WD only (or m/cycle if you were very game). The track down to Paradise back then was a veer off the main track. There was a gate and guardbox at the top, because it was a private beach (and had a sign saying this in English) and they had some sort of arrangement for tour groups who went there by longtail. The guard would always let you in, though - I even gave him a lift back down to the beach one time and he gave me a bag of peanuts for my trouble! There was no restaurant, but snorkel hire was popular and the only time I snorkelled there, I was surrounded by stingy little jelly fish and lasted about five minutes. If you walk along the beach about 200 metres to the south (you will have to go over a little hillock track at high tide if you want to stay dry) and go over the small hill behind this area of the beach, you find a quite scenic (but unswimmable) rock beach on the other side - worth a snap or two. Well worth a visit. The OP's experience highly surprises me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swanky Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 (edited) Any pics Ping? I'm enthralled. Edited November 10, 2008 by Swanky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pothai Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Hotels/resorts that advertise "Private Beach" are lying..??? What about real estate agents selling beach land???.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Croc Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Someone posted this link elsewhere on the forum. It has some good pics of Paradise Beach as well as all the beaches on the west coast. Phuket Beaches Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Croc Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Heres a google earth image of Paradise Beach. You can see the road and restaurant. This is a higher view of the area. Tri Tran is the long beach north of the Merlin. The area between the beach and the hotel was denuded by the tsunami. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinLOS Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 OP should post his experience at Phuket Gazette Q & A. Let's see what relevant govt authorities have to say about it. http://www.phuketgazette.com/issuesanswers...ails.asp?id=714 “All beaches in Thailand are public. However, access to Nui Beach passes through private land. As a result, the owner of the land can charge you a fee for crossing the land, or can bar you from crossing it.But if someone tries to hurt you, you should call the police.” Same answer for Ya Nui.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinLOS Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 There's another side to this: the guy who owns Paradise Beach is a local and that land has been in his family for generations. Despite many offers from developers he has refused to sell and wants to keep the land and the cove just as it has always been, natural and available for all people in Phuket, not just a select few whom the developers would no doubt build luxury homes for. So the guys heart and mind is in the right place I reckon. The reality is that a decent meal at Paradise is going to cost you a lot less than many other places on Phuket that are inhabited by tourists, ditto a sunbed will cost you only half of what it will cost in say Patong. If you think that 200 baht per person for a meal and 100 baht for a sunbed in a setting such as Paradise Beach is a rip off, best you stay away from Phuket because it's too rich for your blood. I was lead to understand that the entire 400 rai peninusla is part of that legal disputed case thats been going on for 15 years or so.. Its sor por kor land that got illegally reclassified during the 90s scandal and the family that did the stealing has been fighting the case for years in Bangkok high court.. They actually lost a couple of important decisions this last year no ?? Parts of this story were in the gazette multiple times in the last decade. So rather its a case that no ones been able to develop that entire area due to the land title being dodgy.. As a local I would assume they have tolerated his occupation of sor por kor land and the structures he has put on it are essentially 'loseable' if / when its properly classified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Croc Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 It would be worth a mint for high end residential or resort development. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Chief Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 There's another side to this: the guy who owns Paradise Beach is a local and that land has been in his family for generations. <deleted> the money, its not about money, the guy did not want a sunbed, why pay for something you dont want. Huggy, follow beach rd in patong (south) and just keep going. you will hit Paradise beach Gotcha, is that the beach where you actually have to leave the road and take a dirt track to get to it? As you come down the hill. the Merlin hotel is on your left, Paradise beach (as some call it) is on the right 100 metres further down. geoffphuket Thanks Geoff. Yes I am familiar with that beach and hadn't heard it called such. Condom beach is another name for that beach. Guess why? MC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinLOS Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 I also seem to remember seeing the 400 rai advertised on one of the big name real estate websites a few years back.. 4m a rai which, lets face it, wouldnt be the case unless there was something very wrong with the titles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logbags Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 I have been going to Paradise beach for over 20 years. You could only ever get there by boat in the past. The food is very good and extremely cheap for Phuket, you don't have to sit on a sunbed, I've sat there all day at the restaurant and never been asked for nothing. The people who own things there are extremely nice and keep the beach spotlessly clean and provide nice toilets. Even if you did have to pay 100 baht for a sunbed that is also extremely cheap. At Surin beach they are up to 350 baht a day at some places. These people only have a small window to make a few bucks during the year, they provide great food at a fair price so I would disregard the whining from these people. 600 baht to feed how many?? Get some perspective please........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimera Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 THIS is Paradise Beach>>> The day I took this photo all I did was park the bike near the restaurant and walk onto the beach...took a few photos then walked round the east end to the 2 little completely deserted beaches round the corner. Back to the bike a couple of hours later and rode off. OK I understand the guy owns the land the road comes over and where the restaurant is but he can't own the beach itself which is what he tries to tell people. By the way the food is very mediocre. It's like the exclusive Amanpuri Resort between Surin Beach and Bang Tao claiming they have a private beach which is Pansea when in fact they share the beachfront with The Chedi Resort and The Chedi allows access to the beach over their property. Yes that is Paradise Beach, I will tell you a story!! a few weeks after the Tusnarmi I rode a motor bike over the hill on the then unmade road, not easy had to walk the bike most of the way back! anyway I found the then owner maybe the same now I dont now, anyway he had nothing his house and fishing boat and all he owned were gone, there was wreckage all around the bay, and the family had just escaped by running up the steep road leading to the bay, he told me he had registered his loss for compensation with the government and had received nothing, all gone before it got to him I was told, He had to start his life again of that there is no doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuandchris Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 The point is as such, I have every qualification to sail from a dinghy to a supertanker, so yes I don't need rescuing from coral, why do they shout at jet boats when they are 50 metres offshore that draws nothing? OK they have a small window to make money [8 months] but it is not their beach. Thai double standards that farangs put up with. Whilst we do and they have defenders then nothing will change Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swanky Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Thanks Geoff. Yes I am familiar with that beach and hadn't heard it called such. Condom beach is another name for that beach. Guess why? MC Nah mate, those are bluebottles not condoms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cotambear Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 If its their road they can charge for it if they like and then its my choice if I choose to pay Same goes for the cafe But they don`t own the beach so they can`t charge for it. Ok they clean the beach, but surely that attracts custom? What if I started cleaning patong beach and then tried charging people to use it? How far would I get with that ? ROFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huggybear Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 If its their road they can charge for it if they like and then its my choice if I choose to pay I think this is the main point. If someone is charging you for something you don't want to buy, then you have to walk away. To get indignant loses face for everybody involved, and of course it's going to get testy. Doesn't matter if it's a beach chair, t-shirt, Indian tailored suit, whatever.....you say no thank you and leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketrex Posted November 12, 2008 Author Share Posted November 12, 2008 I have been going to Paradise beach for over 20 years. You could only ever get there by boat in the past. The food is very good and extremely cheap for Phuket, you don't have to sit on a sunbed, I've sat there all day at the restaurant and never been asked for nothing. The people who own things there are extremely nice and keep the beach spotlessly clean and provide nice toilets. Even if you did have to pay 100 baht for a sunbed that is also extremely cheap. At Surin beach they are up to 350 baht a day at some places. These people only have a small window to make a few bucks during the year, they provide great food at a fair price so I would disregard the whining from these people. 600 baht to feed how many?? Get some perspective please........... You sat all day at the restaurant. So you didn't venture onto the beach. The "whining' as you put it is because I have been going there for many years. We ate at the restaurant...by the way the 600baht was just for a single dish, a bit of rice and a soft drink each. Fair enough if we'd just pitched up on the bikes and walked straight onto the beach and had a swim I could accept the hassle to make a contribution but the fact we had already spent money to then get pressured to pay for something we didn't want was taking the p1ss. 350baht for a sunbed at Surin beach!!! I find that hard to believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinLOS Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 If its their road they can charge for it if they like and then its my choice if I choose to pay I think this is the main point. If someone is charging you for something you don't want to buy, then you have to walk away. To get indignant loses face for everybody involved, and of course it's going to get testy. Doesn't matter if it's a beach chair, t-shirt, Indian tailored suit, whatever.....you say no thank you and leave. And so if you use the road, to access his restaurant AND then walk on the beach.. Hes been paid no ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huggybear Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 If its their road they can charge for it if they like and then its my choice if I choose to pay I think this is the main point. If someone is charging you for something you don't want to buy, then you have to walk away. To get indignant loses face for everybody involved, and of course it's going to get testy. Doesn't matter if it's a beach chair, t-shirt, Indian tailored suit, whatever.....you say no thank you and leave. And so if you use the road, to access his restaurant AND then walk on the beach.. Hes been paid no ?? mai roo...?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jts-khorat Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 3 of us got the "treat like sh1t" treatment at Paradise Beach couple of days ago. We ate first at a table under the trees so they got 600 baht out of us for that. Then we wanted a swim so walked down to a shaded area of the beach at the east end and were changing on some rocks when the "owner" came along and demanded that we pay 100 baht each for a sunbed...but we didn't want beds. He then starts going on about the beach being private and that they clean it every day and we had to pay. We argue back at him that we've just spent 600baht at his restaurant; we don't want beds and the beach is not private. He says us eating at the restaurant had nothing to do with it as it and the beach are "seperate"...now we were on the beach we had to pay. Then he asks where we'd parked our bikes and we pointed where they were with all the others..."private" he says again and the road to the beach is private property too. The arguing went on for about 10 minutes, we refused to pay and finally he went off only to be replaced by his wife or partner and we had the same argument again till she went off. OK I understand they've invested a lot of money putting the road in and building the restaurant but trying to charge people for something they don't want is not doing themselves any favours for future business. The exactly same happened to me and my girlfriend, finally one of the guys after half an hour discussion threatened bodily force after I refused to budge his first threat, that police would be called; I of course had pointed out that beaches are public in Phuket and even if private property surrounds it, a public access would have to be offered. Of course the threat of violence finished the incident and I took off immediately. I would not recommend this place to anybody for this reason, especially if those incidents are occurring regularly as it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jts-khorat Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 If its their road they can charge for it if they like and then its my choice if I choose to paySame goes for the cafe But they don`t own the beach so they can`t charge for it. Ok they clean the beach, but surely that attracts custom? What if I started cleaning patong beach and then tried charging people to use it? How far would I get with that ? ROFL. Incidentally it might be of interest that the many Thai anglers are only charged if they park their motorbike, THB 10, what is fair (and incidentally I walked there from Tri Trang, so nothing to park; it was quite a nice walk before they built the road). But then they get free access to the beach and everywhere else they want. Only farang are charged and threatened. I have been to this beach many times before as you could only walk there, this behavior seems only to happen since they built the full road access (maybe the owner has changed?). It was still one of my worst experiences with Thais being unreasonable, so this beach will not see me again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinLOS Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 3 of us got the "treat like sh1t" treatment at Paradise Beach couple of days ago. We ate first at a table under the trees so they got 600 baht out of us for that. Then we wanted a swim so walked down to a shaded area of the beach at the east end and were changing on some rocks when the "owner" came along and demanded that we pay 100 baht each for a sunbed...but we didn't want beds. He then starts going on about the beach being private and that they clean it every day and we had to pay. We argue back at him that we've just spent 600baht at his restaurant; we don't want beds and the beach is not private. He says us eating at the restaurant had nothing to do with it as it and the beach are "seperate"...now we were on the beach we had to pay. Then he asks where we'd parked our bikes and we pointed where they were with all the others..."private" he says again and the road to the beach is private property too. The arguing went on for about 10 minutes, we refused to pay and finally he went off only to be replaced by his wife or partner and we had the same argument again till she went off. OK I understand they've invested a lot of money putting the road in and building the restaurant but trying to charge people for something they don't want is not doing themselves any favours for future business. The exactly same happened to me and my girlfriend, finally one of the guys after half an hour discussion threatened bodily force after I refused to budge his first threat, that police would be called; I of course had pointed out that beaches are public in Phuket and even if private property surrounds it, a public access would have to be offered. Of course the threat of violence finished the incident and I took off immediately. I would not recommend this place to anybody for this reason, especially if those incidents are occurring regularly as it seems. Thats not true.. They do not have to offer you free right of access by law !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markg Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 Slightly off topic, but i got similar treatment when i arrived at Coral Island beach. I arrived with friends by Longtail boat and we sat down on some rocks. After a while a man came wanting 100 b per person. I refused initially because i knew that we had arrived by sea, and had only set foot on the beach which is owned by H.M. the King i believe. Anyway the bloke said it was for the provision and maintenance of the toilets, which i guess is fair enough so we all ended up paying. It would have ruined the day for us to have just sailed away. Secondly, i havent been to Ya Nui beach for years, but i heard that the guy who thought he owned it (actually he owned just the access road) was the same guy who cut the breathing line from a thai Hookah diver, diving just off Ya Nui. I heard that he got locked up for that and that Ya Nui went into disrepair? Any one know what the situation is now? The link in this thread to the gazette article is quite right - access to the beach over someone's private land and that person can make a charge. Access by water or by another route means they cant charge you. Interestingly, the access road through the Royal Phuket Yacht club at Nai harn to take you to the Ao Sane beach is, i believe, a public right of way, which is why they cant charge you or bar entry to you. As we all know, this is Thailand, and there are laws, and then there are 'laws' For example, if you want to moor your yacht at Ao Yon bay, you have to pay the HeadMan a mooring fee - which he technically isnt entitled to at all..............however, you do of course run the risk of finding your mooring ropes have 'eroded' and your boat has run aground. Some times in life, you have to overlook your principles to have a safe and enjoyable time. Yes, we are subscribing to the problem and not supporting the eradication of corrupt practices, but i guess that is just how it is here. Take it or leave it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cotambear Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 If the beaches are owned by the King then surely anyone who tries to charge is guilty of lesse majeste and should be imprisoned? Try this argument, and let me know how you get on How about a Farang `we love the King` demo on paradise beach ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markg Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 If the beaches are owned by the King then surely anyone who tries to charge is guilty of lesse majeste and should be imprisoned?Try this argument, and let me know how you get on How about a Farang `we love the King` demo on paradise beach ? I dont quite know what your point is, but ALL the beaches AND the sea around Thailand, are owned by HM the King. If you have a look at the proper Chanote titled beach-front land, the land boundary ends at the high water mark. Anything between the high water mark and the sea belongs to the King. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippybangkok Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 Similar to Parking in Thonglor BKK, many try to reserve the locations and get pissed when u park there. I always ask to see the Chanote to proove it belongs to them. Scrathing my car would be highly un-recommended as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadianmonkey Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 well its not that bad, at least you didnt get charged 100baht to goto the beach south of kata, have to walk downhill through a jungle for about 10mins before you hit a bunch of big rocks.. and theres no place to swim, just rocky sand and huge dangerous waves + million crabs. imo giving 100baht for something you didnt want isnt that bad if he keeps the beach 100% clean.. would be awesome if someone did the same on every beach... would keep the cheapstakes from showing their fatty belly on the beach and the litter aswell what's 100baht anyways? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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