Officials under pressure to sort out Phuket’s beaches

[Lite Beer]

Officials under pressure to sort out Phuket’s beaches
Prapaporn Jitmaneeyaphan

PHUKET: Government officials came together on Tuesday (July 16) to try to come up with a formula to bring some sort of order to Phuket’s chaotic beach businesses.

Vice-Governor Jamroen Tippayapongtada, chairing the meeting of Patong and Kamala officials, suggested that owners of businesses on beaches should each be allocated an area of sand. They would not be allowed to build anything on it, nor extend it without permission, but it would be “theirs”.

Everyone working on a beach – masseuses, vendors, beach beds and umbrella renters, and jet ski operators – or on the edges, such as taxi drivers, should have uniforms, the colours of which would indicate their jobs. They should also be issued with ID cards with unique numbers.

This would help tourists to understand who does what, and also identify those who do good things for tourists – or bad things to them.

V/Gov Jamroen said he felt the Phuket authorities should help people such as black taxi drivers to get the required permits and licenses to become legal.

That way they would not feel the same necessity to bully others, or threaten other people such as hotel operators. “We should give people the right power to do the right thing,” he said.

He suggested that officials should set up systems for such people, such as “clubs” which would make it easier to “support” them. “It is better than letting them work illegally,” he said.

He had a suggestion about tourists who don’t listen to warnings by lifeguards: The lifeguard should take a video and send the video to government officials or to V/Gov Jamroen himself, so that the footage can be show to the ambassadors of the countries the tourists come from.

“Please inspect the area you are responsible for, and if you find the illegal buildings that should be demolished, don’t just let it go. Officials have a duty to report to the police, and if the business owners still don’t comply with regulations, officials must take other steps to rectify things.”

He warned, “If you don’t do your job and enforce the law then we will have to refer the problem to Bangkok, who will then send someone down to look at how you are working – and that’s going to embarrass you.

“If we don’t all do our jobs then we may as well all go away and hand over the island to the gangsters.”

He told police representatives at the meeting, “Don’t be scared of the bad guys. Just keep stamping out all evil to do the right thing for the public. Bad guys should be scared of the law; then law enforcement will work and be beneficial.”

The Vice Governor gave local officials 30 days to draw up action plans to resolve beach problems affecting Phuket.

He added, “At the next meeting I would like to see real action plans – not just plans that people draw up and then never carry out.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/officials-under-pressure-to-sort-out-phuket%E2%80%99s-beaches-40895.php

-- Phuket News 2013-07-18

[Jimi007]

Vice-Governor Jamroen Tippayapongtada, chairing the meeting of Patong and Kamala officials, suggested that owners of businesses on beaches should each be allocated an area of sand. They would not be allowed to build anything on it, nor extend it without permission, but it would be “theirs”.

That is one of the dumbest plans I have ever read! The beaches are the King's land...

V/Gov Jamroen said he felt the Phuket authorities should help people such as black taxi drivers to get the required permits and licenses to become legal.

That way they would not feel the same necessity to bully others, or threaten other people such as hotel operators. “We should give people the right power to do the right thing,” he said. He suggested that officials should set up systems for such people, such as “clubs” which would make it easier to “support” them. “It is better than letting them work illegally,” he said.

Really Vice Governor? Just what we need, more taxis! When have they ever done the "right thing"? And just what Phuket needs are more "clubs" aka gangs. Why not try enforcing the laws that are already on the books?

Edited July 18, 2013 by Jimi007

[CiaranO]

These guys havnt a clue - seriously this is the best they can come up with - they should be embarrassed.

[simple1]

Vice-Governor Jamroen Tippayapongtada, chairing the meeting of Patong and Kamala officials, suggested that owners of businesses on beaches should each be allocated an area of sand. They would not be allowed to build anything on it, nor extend it without permission, but it would be “theirs”.

That is one of the dumbest plans I have ever read! The beaches are the King's land...

Works in the Pattaya area for the beach vendors, they obtain a lease/license from the relevant Amphur or Pattaya City Council.

[Jimi007]

Vice-Governor Jamroen Tippayapongtada, chairing the meeting of Patong and Kamala officials, suggested that owners of businesses on beaches should each be allocated an area of sand. They would not be allowed to build anything on it, nor extend it without permission, but it would be “theirs”.

That is one of the dumbest plans I have ever read! The beaches are the King's land...

Works in the Pattaya area for the beach vendors, they obtain a lease/license from the relevant Amphur or Pattaya City Council.

There is enough encroachment on the beaches here without legitimizing it IMHO. Legally there shouldn't be any vendors on the beach.

Edited July 18, 2013 by Jimi007

[bubblegum]

I think its actually not a bad idea but then I'm not a constant Phuket/Thailand basher

[Tywais]

Seems it would lose a lot of the 'Thainess' that visitors expect. Uniforms? The next Singapore?

[Suffinator]

So instead of sorting out the encroachment they simply sanction it. Yep, makes perfect sense in the land of the incompetent, greedy and corrupt. RIP Phuket Beaches, RIP Tourism.

[Shot]

Jet ski operator uniform:

[Ulic]

So if I am a tourist I cant bring a beach chair food or drink to the beach because the sand belongs to a vendor

and he wants his cut. As for the red flags, they are put up in April and taken down in December. That way

it is easy to blame someone else. Don't get me wrong sometimes the flags should be up often not. The real

problem is these people often can't swim. There are far to few life guards. As is is a beach and water

destination I would recommend marking a smaller area with flags that would be closely monitored and for everyone

swimming outside this area that are week swimmers it is Darwinism at work.

[pomchop]

Gov Jamroen said he felt the Phuket authorities should help people such as black taxi drivers to get the required permits and licenses to become legal.

That way they would not feel the same necessity to bully others, or threaten other people such as hotel operators. “We should give people the right power to do the right thing,” he said.

So the answer to the taxi and tuk tuk drivers threatening and gouging the crap out of people and charging rates more than a NYC taxi driver are to help more taxi drivers get permits so they can then legally threaten and gouge people and then they will do the "right thing".

[Soupdragon]

So instead of sorting out the encroachment they simply sanction it. Yep, makes perfect sense in the land of the incompetent, greedy and corrupt. RIP Phuket Beaches, RIP Tourism.

The headline should read........

Officials under pressure to take a cut in corrupt payments in order to sort out Phuket’s beaches

Gotta love a place where people can rent out something that doesn't belong to them.

[eezergood]

Amazing Thailand!

[KarenBravo]

The expression "sh1t rolls down-hill" could have been invented here.

Government tells top officials to rectify a problem. Top official passes it to deputies, deputies form a committee to sort it out. Committee meets, passes some "resolutions" and that is that problem solved. But, of course nothing has actually happened, but, "face" has been seen to be saved.......which is the important thing.