Phuket boatmen block access to famed beach

[Dave 74]

Hopefully they will try to refuse Boris and 6 of his mates and get a rock into the head.

[Dave 74]

It's been 10 years since I last visited Phuket.

Man am I glad that myself and none of my family or friends are ever, ever going to set foot on the sh!thole again.

The place is beautiful - the people, particularly the locals, are a totally different matter

Much, much nicer places to go to.

[eezergood]

There will be some bullsh!t excuse for their behaviour, as there always is.....

Wait for the apologosts to come out with the usual rhetoric - how else can they earn money, we are only visitors, cost of living, its not so expensive compared to. xxxxx, dont like it go home!

[Dave 74]

Happens in every country.

[draftvader]

Happens in every country.

No it doesn't. How many countries have you visited?

[JesseFrank]

Happens in every country.

Maybe in your country, but in my country the picture in the OP would be one of those same guys with their hands handcuffed on their back.

[BeforeTigers]

Lawless country with a population of neglected and undereducated laborers.

To this point I have been telling people that it's perfectly fine to travel here; just avoid protest areas in Bangkok. Starting to reconsider that advice.

[CiaranO]

Happens in every country.

Maybe in your country, but in my country the picture in the OP would be one of those same guys with their hands handcuffed on their back.

Absolutely agreed - in my country the cops would have these in the back of cop cars on their way to jail. I do suspect we will soon here the sob stories coming from these guys etc - My advice to them is simple - if you can make enough money to support yourself find a new job.

[laurentbkk]

It's been 10 years since I last visited Phuket.

Man am I glad that myself and none of my family or friends are ever, ever going to set foot on the sh!thole again.

The place is beautiful - the people, particularly the locals, are a totally different matter

The place WAS beautiful , been to Phuket 22 years ago when it already started to go down , real estate speculation , deadly road accidents , all different mafias controlling every part of the society , not talking about locals , not worth the typing effort .. Oh well the world is big enough will amazing and so much better places .

[eezergood]

Happens in every country.

Maybe in your country, but in my country the picture in the OP would be one of those same guys with their hands handcuffed on their back.

Absolutely agreed - in my country the cops would have these in the back of cop cars on their way to jail. I do suspect we will soon here the sob stories coming from these guys etc - My advice to them is simple - if you can make enough money to support yourself find a new job.

there are plenty of jobs to be had, Phuket & Patong in particular has a real shortage of labour

[Dave 74]

Happens in every country.

No it doesn't. How many countries have you visited?

Ones where people usually pick up on sarcasm.

[chrisinth]

Seems to be the fad in Thailand these days that it is everybody's right to protest, whether the protest blocks right of passage or not.

Next thing you know there will be a state of emergency called, the police will be told that they cannot use force or enter the protest site and everything turns to stalemate with nothing being solved at all.

The boatsmen should be using duck-calls instead of whistles so their winging doesn't get confused with other groups winging over different agendas.

TiT - Touts in Tantrums.........................

[draftvader]

Happens in every country.

No it doesn't. How many countries have you visited?

Ones where people usually pick up on sarcasm.

Really? Is that what it is?

[Dave 74]

Maybe read the post directly above it, it's quite a strong indicator.

[namdocmai]

Those longtailboat owners better improve their boats and make them safe first before blackmailing tourists into them.

All boats i have been on in Thailand were very crappy, overloaded, had holes/cracks in them, no lifevests (except last time to Koh larn where all passengers had to wear it during the trip). The big ferry to Samui had lifeboats but i studied the instructions how to use them and really had no idea how to use them in emergency.

It's a shame that Phuket goes this way. It is the most expensive area of Thailand and then still they even can't organise a good transport system on land or sea. From now on i will advise other travellers (who ask me for tips) to go elsewhere. If those boatowners (not captains) have a problem with getting customers then they should find another way to find them. I sure will never travel with them again.

[andygunther]

One silly question ! I thought they were laws ,rules and police in Phuket ... It seems those punks decide what is good or not ... I just wonder why people still go to Phuket on holidays , are they blind ?

I stop going to Phuket many years ago...

I'm not willing to pay 2-3 times more than I have to do on other places.

[Lupatria]

Looks like TukTuk drivers take it to the Andaman sea...

[Doc50]

Third world, and always will be!

sad but true

[amyb]

Thought there was some sort of beach hut bar/restaurant at Freedom beach. How is that business supposed to get customers. Amazing Thailand at it's worst.

I was at Freedom Beach last Friday but well after this happened. To answer your question, yes, there is a small beach restaurant (with very good food at a reasonable price) and there is also a children's play area near the restaurant.

I had a great experience taking a long tail boat from Tri Trang Beach. The operator was super nice, spoke great English and let me bargain down the price super cheap. Also did a bit of a trek when I was there, and no one seemed to mind at all.

Hope all of this gets sorted out as Freedom Beach is really a nice place.

[azzabab]

obviously a lot of "farang" have a lot to say! maybe it's time to remind you, you are merely guests in this beautiful country! these boatsmen live here and have to make a living somehow! what is the cost of the boat ride from patong, 100bht, 200bht???? as farang, you should be supporting local small businesses ... so pay you way to get to this beautiful beach ...

[Maroon Watcher]

...so the "Phuket person" who owns the hill?

Does he/she own access to the beach -

part of the beach

or all the beach to the shore line?

Point being are they trespassing...???

[IamNoone88]

They are right. They really do have no future. Lazy, ill-mannered and resorting to thuggery, hopefully, like the dinosaurs, they will one day become extinct.

[Paangjang]

Pure thugery, graft & corruption at its best

Why not just use the term 'Thailand'.

Because not all of Thailand is like this. Some have started to refer to Phuket as "The island of hate and pain." I think it's appropriate in many cases.

[cliffly]

That is what happens when people are uneducated, they are very insecure about their income because they have no idea how else to make living. So forcing tourists to use their services is the best way to make money they can think of. Similar situation with Phuket taxi mafia.

However, they must have some idea as to how to make a living other than this as they say, in low season they do not take people there.

So what do they do in low season? How do they eat?

I would bet they do not save money and balance out the high season money to last all year.

In the end, Thai people like this do things like this because the Thai police do not stop things like this!

[Thaiready]

Police get of your lazy ass's - arrest these guys - do your F****** jobs for once. What a disgrace this is even allowed to happen for one minute. Phuket yet again showing it is a quality tourist destination.

I never go there....But if I did it would take more than what I see to turn me back...

[azzabab]

They are right. They really do have no future. Lazy, ill-mannered and resorting to thuggery, hopefully, like the dinosaurs, they will one day become extinct.

just another farang with too much to say about someone else's country. you're merely a guest here ... what are you doing here anyway? ... couldn't hack it in your own country, so you've come to leach off and exploit the beautiful people of thailand! if you have no respect for the thais, i suggest you pack you bags !

[cliffly]

obviously a lot of "farang" have a lot to say! maybe it's time to remind you, you are merely guests in this beautiful country! these boatsmen live here and have to make a living somehow! what is the cost of the boat ride from patong, 100bht, 200bht???? as farang, you should be supporting local small businesses ... so pay you way to get to this beautiful beach ... or FO!

azzabab, as a farang, when you ask in patong the long tail drivers will tell you 2000THB to get to freedom beach and at tri trang the boat drivers say 1500THB. i'm not opposed to paying for a long tail boat ride or supporting local small businesses. i may very well be a guest in your country, but i've lived here for seven years and i pay taxes to your government, and i think a whole lot of people on this forum are in the same situation as me.

is there really a need to tell people to FO? i don't think so ...

Thai people also have a lot to say on Thai forums, which is fine, this is the place where we can view our opinion too because we care. We are all living, working and paying our way in this beautiful country.

I for one pay my taxes and support local business and also raised money to build over ten new boats for Thai fishermen after the terrible tsunami. I know many other farang who did the same.

Now we MUST pay to get to this beach which is free to all public, foreigners or not. If we do not, then we can FO !!

Wow, so nice.

Maybe a better reply would be....

These guys have to make a living somehow, it does not cost much and I think you should support local business anyway. What do you suggest, we must find them a way to earn money otherwise I fear these guys cannot eat?

If you reach out to foreigners on here like that...many will jump to help.

With your post however, people who read that will now try to avoid your boats whereas before many of them would probably prefer a boat trip to the walk anyway.

Can you see the difference?

[cdnvic]

Keep the Royal Family out of the discussion, or you will be banned. Use your brains people.

[azzabab]

That is what happens when people are uneducated, they are very insecure about their income because they have no idea how else to make living. So forcing tourists to use their services is the best way to make money they can think of. Similar situation with Phuket taxi mafia.

However, they must have some idea as to how to make a living other than this as they say, in low season they do not take people there.

So what do they do in low season? How do they eat?

I would bet they do not save money and balance out the high season money to last all year.

In the end, Thai people like this do things like this because the Thai police do not stop things like this!

i'll tell you why they struggle ... because rich farang don't want to pay a few baht to use the boats to get to the beach! no, instead they want a free ride, or try and sneak onto the beach! as farang you are only a guest in this beautiful country, so respect the local people, support small business and pay for the boat ride to the beach ....

[eezergood]

They are right. They really do have no future. Lazy, ill-mannered and resorting to thuggery, hopefully, like the dinosaurs, they will one day become extinct.

just another farang with too much to say about someone else's country. you're merely a guest here ... what are you doing here anyway? ... couldn't hack it in your own country, so you've come to leach off and exploit the beautiful people of thailand! if you have no respect for the thais, i suggest you pack you bags and FO back home!

1. Welcome to Thailand

2. Troll & predictble

3. The boat fare is closer to THB1000 now back to your cave, there is a good lad.

Actually, you should head to Bangla rd lots of nice Thai ladies for you to meet, maybe buy some land in EEEEEsarn or maybe a bar.....