Will the problems on Phuket's beaches be solved soon?

[webfact]

Will the problems on Phuket's beaches be solved soon?
Naraporn Tuarob

PHUKET: -- The Senate Tourism Committee led by its president, local senator Thanyarat Achariyachai, flew into Phuket this morning (June 12), immediately embarking on a day-long inspection of beaches along the west coast of the island.

They first visited Nai Yang, then moved down to Kata, looking at the problems of each beach.

The tour was in preparation for a meeting due to take place tomorrow (June 13) at Sen Thanyarat’s hotel, the Kata Beach Resort & Spa. “The Minister of Tourism & Sports will be joining and we will have a representative from Sansuk Municipality, Chonburi province, which will be a model for us since they have a beach organisation and they have a unit to check compliance regularly.”

“I would like all of us to work for a sustainable form of tourism. We have received complaints from many people, especially tourists, saying that they don’t want to come back to Phuket. Now our traditional tourist markets are starting to go elsewhere,” she said.

“As for the Chinese tourists [who are replacing them], they don’t use the service on the beaches. This will bring trouble for locals.

“We don’t want mass tourism. We need quality tourists who can come and buy our goods and services – so we can’t allow the beaches to degenerate.

“Phuket these days is attracting a lot of negative news, which is a big concern for us. I would like all of us to unite [to tackle this].”

At Patong Sen Thanyarat told The Phuket News that Patong has a better system for the beach than the others.

“In other local areas, local elections have resulted in a lack of consistency so they have a lot of problems. For example, at Nai Yang, there are many restaurants and shops on the beach,” she said.

“At Kamala and Bangtao, heads of the OrBorTor are willing to organize the beaches, too. They will try to do it in low-season.

She and other members of the committee were concerned about what they saw.

“If we leave things the way they are, it will only lead to bigger problems,” she said.

Asked about the problem of jet ski and rental vehicle scams, Sen Thanyarat said, “We have good people in these businesses. But while 10 are good, one may be bad, which ruins everyone’s reputation.

“We have to set clear laws. During the low season we should set up training in how to take good care of tourists. If we were tourists and we were caught in this kind of situation, we wouldn’t come back.”

The committee’s vice-chairman, Sen Pol Gen Pichit Kuandachakupt, said “Our purpose in coming is to look at what is disorganised on the beaches, such as umbrellas, massage beds, jetskis, and other businesses, which give a bad impression to tourists.

“In Nai Yang beach, for example, [businesses] are trespassing on the beach area, which makes it messy and dirty.

“At each beach we have checked what is not in order and we have talked to the owners, asking, if it is not in order, what we should do about it.

“We will see if there is any law that will keep the beaches orderly and also work out how to help entrepreneurs to keep the beaches tidy and improve the island’s tourism image. If Phuket is orderly, then it will be a long-lasting tourist destination,” Gen Pichit concluded.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/will-the-problems-on-phuket%E2%80%99s-beaches-be-solved-soon-40076.php


-- Phuket News 2013-06-12

[thaikahuna]

Quit looking at the tourist as an ATM machine, give them good products and services at a fair price and you may see tourism change. So long as the Tuk Tuk /Taxi mafia and like exist in Phuket the traditional sources of revenue will continue to change. Personally, I will never willingly return to Phuket.

[fiddlehead]

First I heard that the tourists are leaving because of restaurants on the beaches.

[clockman]

At long last, the chickens are coming home to roost!

[andreandre]

" We have received complaints from many people, especially tourists, saying that they don’t want to come back to Phuket. Now our traditional tourist markets are starting to go elsewhere,” she said."

Starting to??

Haha have been doing so for a few years ,but now at an ever increasing rate.

Typical head in the sand attitude..until its too late.

Again, reactive instead of pro active...

[NamKangMan]

First I heard that the tourists are leaving because of restaurants on the beaches.

Maybe because it costs them 200 baht to get to the beach restaurants and 400 baht to get home - all for an 80 baht dish of pad thai. :)

[steelepulse]

Back to the question of will the problems be solved soon, and the answer is NO. There are too many thick envelopes being passed around to actually enforce the laws that are in place to protect the beaches. As an example that was in the news in March, a certain restaurant in Nai Harn was given until April 1st to be demolished. Thanks to 500K packets of tea going to the right places, the monstrosity is bigger than ever and even has electric running to it.

[eezergood]

I sense a hub coming on..........

[NamKangMan]

I sense a hub coming on..........

Phuket - the "hub" of tourists never coming back. :) :)

[LivinginKata]

I sense a hub coming on..........

Phuket - the "hub" of tourists never coming back.

I sense that is the way it's going - as in away.

[madmitch]

Nothing new to TV Phuket forum readers in this article. Maybe the politicians should read the forum and perhaps they could find out what's going on two or three years earlier than at present.

[Jimi007]

Brilliant! She comes in low season when many of the problems aren't nearly as visible! Truly unbelievable! She will report all is well, what's the problem? Try coming in December and see what's really going on at the beaches Senator Thanyarat!

[LivinginKata]

I wondered what the police escort with 7 coaches coming from The Hilton Arcadia was all about this morning. Another high price jolly for the government folks.

[alfalfa19]

This part is extremely amusing: "Asked about the problem of jet ski and rental vehicle scams, Sen Thanyarat said, “We have good people in these businesses. But while 10 are good, one may be bad, which ruins everyone’s reputation." This person is either a bald face liar, or completely out of touch with the situation. If anything, it's exactly the reverse, one in ten might be a decent person. Actually, I pity any honest jet ski operators, because their scumbag colleagues have given a bad reputation to everybody.

[webfact]

Phuket beach encroachment top concern of Senate tourism sortie
Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- A fact-finding tour of Phuket’s top west coast tourist beaches yesterday identified encroachment by hotels, resorts and restaurants as the top concern among members of the Senate Standing Committee on Tourism.

The tour of beaches began at about 8:30am, led by Phuket Senator Tunyaratt Achariyachai, who is also the chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Tourism.

Joined by Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office Director Chanchai Doungjit and an assortment of officials from local government offices, Sen Tunyaratt visited the beaches at Nai Yang, Surin, Kamala, Patong, Karon and Kata.

Due to current wet weather, the sortie stopped and took only cursory notes of the conditions at Laem Singh Beach, Nai Thon Beach, Bang Tao Beach and Kalim Beach as they drove past en route to inspect the beaches on Phuket’s southern west coast.

“The inspection tour of Phuket’s main tourist beaches was designed to allow us to gather information ahead of a meeting with the Tourism and Sports Minister Somsak Pureesrisak [to be held today],” said TAT-Phuket director Chanchai.

“The biggest problem we have seen so far is hotels, resorts and restaurants encroaching on beach land,” he said.

“We will raise the issues uncovered at the meeting with Mr Somsak,” Mr Chanchai said.

The meeting today will start at 9am at the Kata Beach Resort and Spa, he added.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Phuket-beach-encroachment-top-concern-of-Senate-tourism-sortie-21312.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-06-13

[Alwyn]

Two things about this trip make me wince.. First is - as somebody else has mentioned - the trip should have been made during high season and maybe a bit "undercover"? Secondly; Two times it was mentioned "they will try do it in the low season" and the 'training' for the rogue jet ski mafia.. (right, that's really going to work) should be in "the low season". That would be NOW, right? Okay then, I'm holding my pee until this begins because I don't want to miss this!!

[watcharacters]

I sense a hub coming on..........

Phuket - the "hub" of tourists never coming back.

I sense that is the way it's going - as in away.

Phuket is well and fully established.

Tourists know about it and will continue to return as long as they're welcome.

Changes in Thailand will, as in the past, take decades and decades to move even a tiny bit forward.

I'd suggest not waiting for change but rather find a different place if it's not what one wants.

[ronthai]

Some one thought she needed to waste some time with the same old, same old.

Isn't this lovely:

We have good people in these businesses. But while 10 are good, one may be bad, which ruins everyone’s reputation.

If that where true, I am sure the 10 good would handle the 1 bad, in the "traditional" Thai way. That does not happen, because it is, 10 bad and maybe 1 good

[hellodolly]

This part is extremely amusing: "Asked about the problem of jet ski and rental vehicle scams, Sen Thanyarat said, “We have good people in these businesses. But while 10 are good, one may be bad, which ruins everyone’s reputation." This person is either a bald face liar, or completely out of touch with the situation. If anything, it's exactly the reverse, one in ten might be a decent person. Actually, I pity any honest jet ski operators, because their scumbag colleagues have given a bad reputation to everybody.

Yes I was wondering about that also. It seemed to me that if ten were honest and one dishonest the ten honest ones would police the dishonest one out for their own protection.

[hellodolly]

"“We don’t want mass tourism. We need quality tourists who can come and buy our goods and services – so we can’t allow the beaches to degenerate."

So there idea of a quality tourist is some one who spends lots of money.

If they don't want massive tourism start promoting the double pricing jet sky rip offs and anything is OK attitude as long as it separates the tourist from his money.

It is guaranteed that you will go along way towards stopping the mass tourism.

[drdoom6996]

"Will the problems on Phuket's beaches be solved soon"? Will the problems on Phukets beaches be solved EVER?????????????????????????

[gmac]

Quit looking at the tourist as an ATM machine, give them good products and services at a fair price and you may see tourism change. So long as the Tuk Tuk /Taxi mafia and like exist in Phuket the traditional sources of revenue will continue to change. Personally, I will never willingly return to Phuket.

I regularly visit Koh Chang for a few days relief and have in the past considered Phuket as an alternative. The relative costs in Phuket have always been higher and with all the negative comments about scams I have now pretty much crossed it off my list. I am sure I am not the only one.

[winstonc]

At long last, the chickens are coming home to roost!

me thinks that maybe be a bit premature ,,as my wife said to me ,,,,,,,,

[khunPer]

»We don’t want mass tourism. We need quality tourists who can come and buy our goods and services – so we can’t allow the beaches to degenerate.«

Mass tourism is what you get, when you have budget airlines, charter flights and package tours at discount prices. With the new “all inclusive” trend, the tourist even don't need or wish to spend additional money.

What is a “quality tourist”?

From earlier media articles, it seems like the “quality tourist” TAT is talking about, is a tourist staying two-three weeks in Thailand and spending 10,000+ bath a day for accommodation, typically at 4+ star resorts. But these places often wish their guests to spend all their money “inside the walls” by their pools, private beach etc. and furthermore they arrange tours, entertainment, market day etc. so their guest do not need to go to a public beach by a 400 baht tuk-tuk or taxi and spend 200 baht for a 80 baht menu. No, they better stay inside the resort and enjoy an outstanding menu there for the same amount of money.

A “quality tourist” must be something different. Perhaps just the kind of “normal tourist”, who stays at a reasonable priced place; use the public beach and the services there; dine in local restaurants; do the shopping in local stores. But that kind of tourists may easily disappear to other destinations, when considered too much like walking ATMs.

“Wake-up call” (and that may not only be Phuket):

Stop overpricing; get all taxis to use meters, and tuk-tuks fair fixed prices (the airport bus may even be an excellent supplement); stop jet-ski and other scams (mandatory full insurance etc.); consider tourist as valued customers, you wish to see again, and again, and again...

Stop the talks about “safe zones” for tourists, which may Phuket sound like a deadly dangerous place to visit. Tourists quickly abandon unsafe destinations, especially when their embassy warns about the place. All of the area shall of course be safe for tourist.

Only then the damaged reputation can be fixed. That is a process, which may take some time. Remember, it takes year to build up a good reputation, only months or weeks to destroy it.

[NamKangMan]

I sense a hub coming on..........

Phuket - the "hub" of tourists never coming back.

I sense that is the way it's going - as in away.

Phuket is well and fully established.

Tourists know about it and will continue to return as long as they're welcome.

Changes in Thailand will, as in the past, take decades and decades to move even a tiny bit forward.

I'd suggest not waiting for change but rather find a different place if it's not what one wants.

Do you think Phuket is as "welcoming" as it was in the past????

When the "welcome commitee" for the tourists coming to Phuket is made up of mafia - you are going to have a tourist industry problem.

We are seeing that now, with the traditional tourist demographics changing for Phuket.

As far as changes in Thailand taking decades, if they do not progress at the same rate as their neighbours, they will fall behind.

[NamKangMan]

At long last, the chickens are coming home to roost!

me thinks that maybe be a bit premature ,,as my wife said to me ,,,,,,,,

It's never good when your wife says you're premature. :) :)

[NamKangMan]

»We don’t want mass tourism. We need quality tourists who can come and buy our goods and services – so we can’t allow the beaches to degenerate.«

Mass tourism is what you get, when you have budget airlines, charter flights and package tours at discount prices. With the new “all inclusive” trend, the tourist even don't need or wish to spend additional money.

What is a “quality tourist”?

From earlier media articles, it seems like the “quality tourist” TAT is talking about, is a tourist staying two-three weeks in Thailand and spending 10,000+ bath a day for accommodation, typically at 4+ star resorts. But these places often wish their guests to spend all their money “inside the walls” by their pools, private beach etc. and furthermore they arrange tours, entertainment, market day etc. so their guest do not need to go to a public beach by a 400 baht tuk-tuk or taxi and spend 200 baht for a 80 baht menu. No, they better stay inside the resort and enjoy an outstanding menu there for the same amount of money.

A “quality tourist” must be something different. Perhaps just the kind of “normal tourist”, who stays at a reasonable priced place; use the public beach and the services there; dine in local restaurants; do the shopping in local stores. But that kind of tourists may easily disappear to other destinations, when considered too much like walking ATMs.

“Wake-up call” (and that may not only be Phuket):

Stop overpricing; get all taxis to use meters, and tuk-tuks fair fixed prices (the airport bus may even be an excellent supplement); stop jet-ski and other scams (mandatory full insurance etc.); consider tourist as valued customers, you wish to see again, and again, and again...

Stop the talks about “safe zones” for tourists, which may Phuket sound like a deadly dangerous place to visit. Tourists quickly abandon unsafe destinations, especially when their embassy warns about the place. All of the area shall of course be safe for tourist.

Only then the damaged reputation can be fixed. That is a process, which may take some time. Remember, it takes year to build up a good reputation, only months or weeks to destroy it.

"What is a quality tourist?" - a tourist that is easily overchaged, scammed and ripped off. :)

[belg]

guys, are you feeling it: soon there will be a BEACH TAX... yes, if you want to access the beach, you will have to pay a hefty baht, 5 to 10x more for non thais, off course

otherwise we would be discriminating

why did the minister not take the BUS as a test ...to see if he would get blocked by the local "authority", specially the organized non governemental

[jko]

Thailand, from the very beginning of the travel industry in the 1970's, was blessed with a far superior tourist product than any other Asian country.

No destination stood a chance of matching the countless pristine beaches, let alone the food, the hospitality, the value for money, the superb hotels, the nightlife, the shopping, plus the mountains, the national parks, wildlife, vegetation, diversity of scenery etc., -- and all of this coupled with a truly fascinating capital city, a rich history, plus a fabulous culture, and friendly, tolerant and smiling people.

Unbeatable, really.

Which government, which country therefore, could not possibly succeed in marketing, selling - and protecting- such a uniquely desirable product? Not inevitably attract millions arrivals?

Yet over decades, through ignorance, mismanagement, greed and corruption, Thailand has slowly and relentlessly degraded its huge tourism and natural assets, with no sign of it stopping.

This latest assessment confirms that the slide continues, and it may take another decade before anybody wakes up, and attempts to repair the damage to the intrinsic structure of the product.

By that time, it may be too late, and the next generation may ask in vain: "Who is responsible for this?"

-And the Kingdom may provide the richest worldwide source of reference material for scholars and academics studying the topic: Tourism Gone Wrong

Edited June 13, 2013 by jko

[pomchop]

Generally the first impression that tourists have of any destination is at the airport. Some are well organized and clearly marked with signs. Some even have numerous "aides" (hong kong) in professional looking uniforms who assist any person with an inquiry.

Next comes the transport to town/hotel etc. Some destinations are very well organized with clear taxi ranks and no BS taxis with meters. In addition there may be van or bus services with destinations and fares clearly displayed.

Unfortunately tourists arriving in Phuket are met with a bewildering display of transport "options", none of which seem to have any correlation to HELPING the tourist reach their hotel or destination....instead the system is set up to insure that the transport companies and their overlords extract the maximum baht from the tourist. Having flown many hours most tourists simply submit to the inflated prices and away they go....many of them next find that their van/bus/taxi makes a stop at an office where they are given a hard sell to change their hotel or are flat out lied to that "their hotel" is closed/awful/bad location/etc.....after having to hang around for a half hour or so and for those that resist the hard sell they then maybe get taken to their requested destination. What a great start to a holiday?

Then once they do finally reach their hotel and perhaps decide to take a simple little tuk tuk ride a few miles up the road must go through a ridiculous negotiation where they are quoted prices higher than a New York City taxi...this to ride in an unsafe, no a/c, crappy little toy of a truck driven by a surly thug who may well also try and include a shopping stop enroute to the requested destination where said driver gets a commission. Should the tourist dare to try and find alternate transport they may well be subjected to threats or violence. Should they book a private car or tour they may well find a tuk tuk mafia harassing or blocking the use of outside transport.

Perhaps the tourists might also decide to rent a jet ski for a few minutes. But as most TV readers know this can also be an expensive mistake / scam designed not to provide an exciting jet ski ride at a fair price but to extract the maximum money from unsuspecting tourists utilizing scams and including the local police in the "take".

As some of the Thai tourism officials seem to admit the negative reports about Phuket are increasing. With the growth of the internet it is very easy for any potential tourist to get first hand real tourist reports on what to expect in various destinations. More and more potential tourists dreaming of a quiet relaxing stress free vacation may well decide that they don't need/want all the BS transport and scams of Phuket. Naturally there will always be tourists who read nothing before they plan a trip and arrive Phuket clueless as to what awaits. But over time thanks primarily to the internet the horror stories will appear in more and more foreign newspapers, website, travel sites, etc. and each year xx thousands of potential Phuket tourists will pick another more user friendly destination.

The sad thing is that apparently the tourism authorities are either clueless or they themselves are on the take. It does not take a rocket scientist to visit Phuket and observe first hand the ripoffs and BS that many tourists are faced with.

Every few months it seems we get to read a story about how the politicians/police/tourism execs are going to clean up the problems....or they go for a junket to Phuket and announce that the biggest problem to tourists is something like "too many restaurants on the beaches"

I am fortunate that I got to experience Phuket many years ago before the mafia took control and the officials became part of the problem instead part of the solution.