Park Booze Ban: Phuket Tourism Players ‘Shaken, Not Stirred’

[george]

Park booze ban: Phuket tourism players ‘shaken, not stirred’

Dive boats at Mu Ko Lanta National Park off Krabi. Many Russians have

cancelled trips to the park following the ban. Photo: Pimwara Choksakulpan

PHUKET: -- Reactions by key figures in Phuket’s tourism industry are mixed over the recent ban on alcohol inside 110 national parks nationwide.

However, many agree that the rule will be very difficult to enforce at marine national parks.

Pracha Rachai, Events Manager at Andaman Aqua Trails, said the ban had already caused “a lot” of cancellations by Russian tourists, the company’s target market this year.

The company runs tours to Mu Koh Surin Marine National Park and Koh Tat Chai, inside Mu Ko Similan Marine National Park.

“This year we focused on the Russian market only. The culture of the Russians is that they love to drink and have a good time. The atmosphere on the island is calm and relaxing, nice for enjoying a few drinks,” he said.

Other regulations, such as the ban on campfires and other beach activities, previously introduced, had put enough of a damper on tourists’ fun, he said.

“Now nobody is booking the trip [to the Surin Islands] because they can’t do anything there,” he said.

Mr Pracha was skeptical that authorities would be able to prevent tourists from smuggling alcohol into park territory.

He also thought the ban was hastily issued, coming after the isolated death of a student at Khao Yai National Park in Surat Thani.

Surapong Janin, a manager at the Kuraburi Greenview Resort & Travel company that runs speedboats to islands off Phang Nga, said the management at the national park restaurants had complied with the new order by ceasing alcohol sales there.

The islands are not appropriate for drinking sessions because the generators stop at 10pm and all the lights go out, he added.

Thus far he has not noticed anyone sneaking alcohol onto the island, he said.

John Gray, who runs John Gray’s Sea Canoe, said, “I think it’s great. Alcohol is worse for you than heroin. I used to be in medical research. The worst things you can do are drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and eating red meat.

“I am all for it [the ban], especially because alcohol and boats don’t mix. I’ve been running dry boats since I started in 1983 and I don’t allow people to drink or jump off the top deck,” he said.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-01-08

[housepainter]

It's ceratinly a sad day if you can't travel to a place of natural beauty and drink yourself so daft, almost as daft as a Russian, light a fire that could destroy half the habitat and then take a few snaps so as to remember what a great day out you had, comotose and unable to remember a thing otherwise.

I remember the good old days when a day out meant destroying half the countryside during long forgotten drunken binges and out of control fires that had the state declare the place a disaster zone.

How are those legitimate businesses that set about destroying these Island retreats ever going to carry on without the support of Vodka loving countryside burning Russians running amok all in pursuit of an inebriated good time? Just think of the catastrophioc effects on the wild life that the absence of those rampant raving Russian hoardes will have. Flora and fauna will recover in abundance, wildlife will breed naturally and without disturbance, pollution levels will drop drastically; why, the entire ecosystem, damaged since tourism began there might actually start to recover. Nature in balance once again. Could it get much worse? Blimey endangered species will be recovering next.

I feel sorry for that poor dead student. Visiting Khoa Yai National Park and finding out that it had moved 800 kilometres to Surat Thani from Nakhon Ratchasima. Probably the walk that killed him. Or then again if he thought he was up near Pak Chong and he saw the sea maybe he panicked thinking another Tsunami had hit.

But I agree that slapping a ban after only one death is irresponsible. We need to use precedents here. For example, the Santika Pub fire where over 60 died and not a thing has been changed; licences, fire regs, non-flamable meterials and still in business under another name. That's what we've come to expect in Thailand but holding life so dear as to slap a ban on national Parks, well, it's just not Thai. What's more it's down right responsible.

What a lame excuse it is to blame the generator shut down at 10 pm and all the lights go out as reason for why the islands are unsuitable for mass piss ups. The entire point is to have your own lights go out long before 10 pm, mumble incoherent rubbish, start a fight, preferably with your wife then everybody else.Kiss and make up in the morning Russian style.

Imagine the horrors if the rest of society ever latched on to turning off the power in order stop the booze flowing. Why, overnight the streets would be safe to walk. Hospitals would be emptied over night.

Thank goodness the arguement is balanced by John Grey, who lists the health dangers of smoking, drinking and eating red meat. John was formerly in the medical profession where he worked in research.

An animal lab kept him in a 4 by 4 cage next to the beagles. He was mouth tethered round an unending cigarette, while being drip fed a gallon of Theakston's Old Peculiar per hour and forced to eat sirloin three times a day. John knows the dangers then and has since gone back to heroin. He now says his health has fully recovered from all that red meat that nearly turned him into a testosterone pumping heterosexual male. Whereas drugged crazed, out of his head on heroin, or better, desperate for another fix and prepared to rob, assault, murder anyone to get it, he's never been happier.

Furthermore, John explains to us how alcohol and boats don't mix. Strange really as when I've had my usual all day at home Chang fest followed by a nip down the pub from 6pm to early dawn, I start seeing models of the QE2 cruising up the Gent's Urinal with Di Caprio strangling the life out of Celine Dion on the prow.

But John doesn't quite explain it all. Running his canoe business he tells us how 'it's all dry'. Fair enough. And that 'no one jumps off the top deck'. I had this idea that canoes were sort of flat cigar shaped things that you sat in and just paddled off.

But then what do I know?

So, the Russians seem set to go elsewhere and keep on drinking. And the rest of us can do likewise as we too keep taking the piss.

[mca]

I am all for it [the ban], especially because alcohol and boats don’t mix

Tell that to Lord Horatio Nelson and the Navy back in the day.

[Phatcharanan]

That's what we've come to expect in Thailand

But then what do I know?

Exactly. What do you know?

Sweet F.A?

[jayjay0]

I am all for it [the ban], especially because alcohol and boats don't mix

Tell that to Lord Horatio Nelson and the Navy back in the day.

Was that when England was busy trying to rape the whole world?

[jayjay0]

The article said

"John Gray, who runs John Gray’s Sea Canoe, said, “I think it’s great. Alcohol is worse for you than heroin. I used to be in medical research. The worst things you can do are drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and eating red meat."

Well I certainly have to agree with your first two choices.

Most people do not realize that when a person die's if they were a addict Alcohol is the only drug that would show permanent physical damage. There maybe permanent damage from other drugs but it is not the drug it is the garbage they cut it with,

Smoking will leave resadue in your lungs for life. I have not smoked in 27 years and a x ray a month ago showed my lungs to still be black.

That being said it is unfortunate that the government reacted in such a knee jerk way. A little common sense would go a long way. If there is a licensed business in the parks they should be allowed to continue selling booze. (I prefer PepsiMax every time) May be that should be a stipulation sell booze and you have to sell PepsiMax. as my Thai Wife would say Good Idea.

Now about the red meat issue. Does that mean if I cook it until it is well done all the way through and is a gray brown it is OK.

[mca]

I am all for it [the ban], especially because alcohol and boats don't mix

Tell that to Lord Horatio Nelson and the Navy back in the day.

Was that when England was busy trying to rape the whole world?

Don't forget the looting and plundering. Can't beat a bit of that.

[mca]

The worst things you can do are drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and eating red meat

I dunno. I reckon jumping out of a high altitude weather balloon sans parachute, playing Russian roulette with an automatic and entering a Taleban stronghold eating a bacon buttie, singing " I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandee" and asking some guy with an RPG where all the " Yo, ragman, where are all the loose big butt velied bitches at?" might possibly be worse.

[jackr]

What a strange, robotic individual. I bet your boat tours are lots of fun. :jerk:

John Gray, who runs John Gray’s Sea Canoe, said, “I think it’s great. Alcohol is worse for you than heroin. I used to be in medical research. The worst things you can do are drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and eating red meat.

How about making the whole of Thailand alcohol-free? I'm sure that'd make some of the boring, sad, out-of-touch nobs that come up with these lame ideas happy. In the meantime, Cambodia and Vietnam will be smiling from ear to ear and can reap the benefits by appreciating their tourists.

[mca]

I’ve been running dry boats since I started in 1983 and I don’t allow people to drink or jump off the top deck,” he said.

The Basil Fawlty of sea tours.

[asiawatcher]

I left my country because of over regulations and taxes and now I am finding Thailand going the same way.

On one hand TAT is doing their best to bullsh*t us they are trying to gain tourists dollars and here we have a ban on an essential part of tourism, i.e. partying and have drinks. But then look at any seven eleven any time and their is uncle Somchai and his brother Lek buying bottles of booze so is this just another stab at farangs or is this really going to remain? Maybe they wanted to ban booze for all the rubbish it leaves behind. Thai's everywhere always just get up from their drinking sessions in Parks, villages etc., and just walk leaving bottles and discarded chicken and fish bones, cigarette packets et al and farangs usually pick up and bin the lot. Especially the tourist operators so why not make this a level playing field?

[jayjay0]

What a strange, robotic individual. I bet your boat tours are lots of fun. :jerk:

John Gray, who runs John Gray's Sea Canoe, said, "I think it's great. Alcohol is worse for you than heroin. I used to be in medical research. The worst things you can do are drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and eating red meat.

How about making the whole of Thailand alcohol-free? I'm sure that'd make some of the boring, sad, out-of-touch nobs that come up with these lame ideas happy. In the meantime, Cambodia and Vietnam will be smiling from ear to ear and can reap the benefits by appreciating their tourists.

Rite on

But on the other hand Cambodia and Vietnam will be picking up the garbage putting up with the seeder tourists and in General watching there national values slowly disapearing in favor of a dollar.

Now thailand on the other hand would lose a lot of tourist dollars because a lot of the tourists were in Cambodia and Vietnam.

Let us ask our self's is the tourist dollar that disappears from Thailand really that important to Thailand, It is to Bars and hookers. Or would the over all economy benefit from the families that come to Thailand because it is family friendly.

Think of it the advertisements could read come visit Thailand a beautiful scenic country you can enjoy with out having to change it through chemical means.

All fun and games the world of IF.

The reality Thailand made a knee jerk reaction that while basically a good idea needs a lot of modification's. JMO

[SantiSuk]

It's ceratinly a sad day if you can't travel to a place of natural beauty and drink yourself so daft, almost as daft as a Russian, light a fire that could destroy half the habitat and then take a few snaps so as to remember what a great day out you had, comotose and unable to remember a thing otherwise.

I remember the good old days when a day out meant destroying half the countryside during long forgotten drunken binges and out of control fires that had the state declare the place a disaster zone.

How are those legitimate businesses that set about destroying these Island retreats ever going to carry on without the support of Vodka loving countryside burning Russians running amok all in pursuit of an inebriated good time? Just think of the catastrophioc effects on the wild life that the absence of those rampant raving Russian hoardes will have. Flora and fauna will recover in abundance, wildlife will breed naturally and without disturbance, pollution levels will drop drastically; why, the entire ecosystem, damaged since tourism began there might actually start to recover. Nature in balance once again. Could it get much worse? Blimey endangered species will be recovering next.

I feel sorry for that poor dead student. Visiting Khoa Yai National Park and finding out that it had moved 800 kilometres to Surat Thani from Nakhon Ratchasima. Probably the walk that killed him. Or then again if he thought he was up near Pak Chong and he saw the sea maybe he panicked thinking another Tsunami had hit.

But I agree that slapping a ban after only one death is irresponsible. We need to use precedents here. For example, the Santika Pub fire where over 60 died and not a thing has been changed; licences, fire regs, non-flamable meterials and still in business under another name. That's what we've come to expect in Thailand but holding life so dear as to slap a ban on national Parks, well, it's just not Thai. What's more it's down right responsible.

What a lame excuse it is to blame the generator shut down at 10 pm and all the lights go out as reason for why the islands are unsuitable for mass piss ups. The entire point is to have your own lights go out long before 10 pm, mumble incoherent rubbish, start a fight, preferably with your wife then everybody else.Kiss and make up in the morning Russian style.

Imagine the horrors if the rest of society ever latched on to turning off the power in order stop the booze flowing. Why, overnight the streets would be safe to walk. Hospitals would be emptied over night.

Thank goodness the arguement is balanced by John Grey, who lists the health dangers of smoking, drinking and eating red meat. John was formerly in the medical profession where he worked in research.

An animal lab kept him in a 4 by 4 cage next to the beagles. He was mouth tethered round an unending cigarette, while being drip fed a gallon of Theakston's Old Peculiar per hour and forced to eat sirloin three times a day. John knows the dangers then and has since gone back to heroin. He now says his health has fully recovered from all that red meat that nearly turned him into a testosterone pumping heterosexual male. Whereas drugged crazed, out of his head on heroin, or better, desperate for another fix and prepared to rob, assault, murder anyone to get it, he's never been happier.

Furthermore, John explains to us how alcohol and boats don't mix. Strange really as when I've had my usual all day at home Chang fest followed by a nip down the pub from 6pm to early dawn, I start seeing models of the QE2 cruising up the Gent's Urinal with Di Caprio strangling the life out of Celine Dion on the prow.

But John doesn't quite explain it all. Running his canoe business he tells us how 'it's all dry'. Fair enough. And that 'no one jumps off the top deck'. I had this idea that canoes were sort of flat cigar shaped things that you sat in and just paddled off.

But then what do I know?

So, the Russians seem set to go elsewhere and keep on drinking. And the rest of us can do likewise as we too keep taking the piss.

:cheesy:

Post of the day Housepainter