Phuket lounge chair touts battle boot campers for beach space

[webfact]

Phuket lounge chair touts battle boot campers for beach space
Phuket Gazette


A chair operator prepares to set up an umbrella on the beach. Photo: Malte Henning

PHUKET: -- A Phuket exercise and beach-cleanup group saw an abrupt end to their activities on March 15 when lounge chair touts battled them for space on Nai Harn Beach.

“Clean the Beach Boot Camp” is a free event held every two weeks aimed at bringing together local expats and giving back to the community, explains Krix Luther, the health and fitness specialist who has been running the events since May 2013.

“As we were setting up near the lagoon end of the beach, a chair operator asked us to move our stuff away from his chairs [the forth line of chairs], insisting that we were blocking the view,” said Mr Luther.

There is a maximum of two rows of chairs and umbrellas allowed on the beach, except in high season, when three rows are allowed to accommodate the increase in tourists, according to Rawai Umbrella and Beach Chair Club Regulations.

“This was the only dry patch of sand we could find, as chairs were taking up the majority of the beach and it was high tide, so we refused to move.”

This is not the first time the group has been approached by chair operators unhappy with the groups activities.

Mr Luther has received a multitude of complaints from beach touts in the past, ranging from the group placing equipment too near to their chairs and the group training in their “chair territory”.

“Usually, after a few minutes, they give up,” Mr Luther said.

However, that was not the case on March 15.

When high tide subsided, the group was able to move away from the contested area and begin training, Mr Luther explained.

“We were able to secure a 10 by five meter area of space for training, but before I could get through the warm ups, the chairmen began slamming down their umbrellas in the middle of our spot; so close that I thought they were going to hurt one of the tourists in the group.

“We continued on for a few minutes, then they started to put out the chairs and tables. We had no choice but to stop and ask them what they were doing,” he said.

Some of the expats confronted the vendor leading to a brief, violent argument that teetered on the edge of physical violence, Mr Luther explained.

However, the situation did not boil over.

“We assembled, got our stuff and discussed what to do… the damage was done, moral was low and the atmosphere was lifeless. We had a very short, uncomfortable workout and cleaned up the beach for about 20 minutes before we left,” Mr Luther said.

The tourists who had taken part in the event were “pretty disgusted” with what they saw and the regular boot campers said they did not wish to return to Nai Harn.

“I hold these events as a way of giving back. It not only brings expats together as a type of meet and greet but it also helps our community. Everyone goes home feeling good, like they started the weekend off on a productive high,” Mr Luther said.

The group plans hold the event at Nai Harn again on Saturday.

“Pollution in the ocean is a massive, worldwide problem, and if the ‘Clean the Beach Boot Camp’ is helping on even a microscopic level, I will continue to do it,” Mr Luther said before returning to Nai Harn.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Phuket-lounge-chair-touts-battle-boot-campers/27970#ad-image-0


-- Phuket Gazette 2014-03-27

[BigRick]

But it got in the way of an illegal Thai business I am surprised the police did not show up and arrest all the Farangs for cleaning the place up. I won't ever visit Phuket again I was so disgusted we need to vote with out feet and visit other places where crime is not an institution.

[robertthebruce]

I went to one of the work outs, a few months back, and the ''Trainer'' is spot on, he is mega good and after the work out, we all walked along the beach cleaning up as we went, it was a great day, and great feeling to have done something useful.., to the Island...

The ''Trainer'' is an Asset to the beaches, as he does not only stick to the one beach, he does his rounds with them.. which is kind of him..

Sad to hear what happened, i hope someone of authority reads this and the situation gets rectified..

If you are reading my comment Mr Luther, once again well done from one of the Ex Pats who live here, its great what you are doing, sorry to read what happened...

[inzman]

The mafia runs Phuket and the beach trolls are part of the mafia. Same as the tuk tuk guys. And they own the police, so nothing can be done. Very sad state of affairs. Phuket is an excellent example of what happens when greed and corruption take over an area. Very difficult to reclaim Phuket now.

[Briggsy]

Don't go to Phuket. There is widespread aggression and hostility from a host of locals working in various sectors of the tourist industry.

[eezergood]

Don't go to Phuket. There is widespread aggression and hostility from a host of locals working in various sectors of the tourist industry.

Dont go the middle east - its full of JIhadists...........

Whilst I understand you point, bullsh!t posts like this are only adding to the problem..... why dont you go & help Krix et al to clean up???

[mrwebb8825]

I would either move to another beach where clean sand is appreciated or deposit your groups clean-up at this guys barrels/umbrella site.

[Briggsy]

Don't go to Phuket. There is widespread aggression and hostility from a host of locals working in various sectors of the tourist industry.

Dont go the middle east - its full of JIhadists...........

Whilst I understand you point, bullsh!t posts like this are only adding to the problem..... why dont you go & help Krix et al to clean up???

I have lived in Thailand for 20 years. I read and speak Thai. The last time I visited Phuket was in 2003 or 2002, not sure. I am not a troublemaker. I was shocked at the rudeness of men doing the unskilled tourist sector jobs, deck chair tout, taxi driver, etc. The way they spoke to me and other tourists was really hostile. Phuket was also expensive compared to other areas of Thailand.

I decided I wouldn't be back and I haven't. It certainly seems it has not changed for the better. I would advise everybody to try other areas of Thailand rather than Phuket. So I won't be going to clean up the turds off the beaches of Phuket, sorry.

Let me know how it goes though.

[amerasian]

I lived in Puket for a year.had my truck broken into

stole all our passports. And our phones. Rented a house there turns out to be neecy to a furniture shop. With laquor fumes coming into the house weekly. Unlivable beautiful big home.lost 20.000 thb deposit seen the house for tent one month later.just a scam

was fined 100.000 thb for drunk in public. On walking street. Lets just say the mafia is alive and well in Puket

[eezergood]

What is your point? Other than telling the board how well integrated into Thai culture you are?

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[EvilDrSomkid]

What is your point? Other than telling the board how well integrated into Thai culture you are?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

His point is: Don't go to Phuket.

I will never go there if I can help it. A cesspit of <deleted> run by the greedy and corrupt few who use the tuktuk and beach tout mobs as enforcers.

[eezergood]

What is your point? Other than telling the board how well integrated into Thai culture you are?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

His point is: Don't go to Phuket.

I will never go there if I can help it. A cesspit of <deleted> run by the greedy and corrupt few who use the tuktuk and beach tout mobs as enforcers.

yet here you both are, social commentators of the unknown...... I have never been to Chiang Mai, but am told its wonderful, so by the logic you guys employ (believeing what I have read) Chiang Mai must have no problems whatsoever......

Whilst I do not disagree with Phukets many & numerous detractors, Krix et al (myself included) are actually doing something to help & try to change, so take off the grinch hat & go troll elsewhere or make insightful comments......

[CWMcMurray]

Waiting for story next Sat about A group of foreigners having been arrested in Phuket for working without a work permit...

Given the recent news out of Phuket , it really wouldn't surprise me

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jacko45k]

The dry season version of turf wars!

[steelepulse]

From a facebook posting, there will be gazette photographers for this as well as a couple local government officials on hand for this event.

[stevenl]

What is your point? Other than telling the board how well integrated into Thai culture you are?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

By being drunk in public you mean

[stevenl]

But it got in the way of an illegal Thai business I am surprised the police did not show up and arrest all the Farangs for cleaning the place up. I won't ever visit Phuket again I was so disgusted we need to vote with out feet and visit other places where crime is not an institution.

Illegal business? They have licenses etc to do this, and pay the Tessabaan or OrBorTor, sorry, don't know which one, a lot of money for this.

So yes, interfere with their livelyhood and one can expect problems. There were problems in the past, in stead of sorting these problems come back and do exactly the same. There comes a point when the problems boil over.

[pistachios]

But it got in the way of an illegal Thai business I am surprised the police did not show up and arrest all the Farangs for cleaning the place up. I won't ever visit Phuket again I was so disgusted we need to vote with out feet and visit other places where crime is not an institution.

Illegal business? They have licenses etc to do this, and pay the Tessabaan or OrBorTor, sorry, don't know which one, a lot of money for this.

So yes, interfere with their livelyhood and one can expect problems. There were problems in the past, in stead of sorting these problems come back and do exactly the same. There comes a point when the problems boil over.

How does a bunch of guys doing some fitness for half an hour on the beach interfere with their livelihood? If anything they should offer the group some drinks (which they have done in the past), they are actually helping them making the beach a nicer place by picking up the trash those morons are too lazy to take care of.

It would at least make a little sense if the beach was very busy and all chairs occupied but no, it happened in the morning while the beach was pretty much deserted.

What's the next step, beat up every tourists who dare play some football or freesbee in the general vicinity of their sacred beach chairs?

[steelepulse]

IIRC, after the Tsunami new guidelines for beach chairs were introduced. No more wood chairs, no more than two rows of chairs, and there had to be a certain amount of space between sets of chairs to allow for quick exits from the beach. Amazing how short the beach chair and governments memory is due to the amount of money to be made circumventing a safetly law that would have seen the beaches looking much better than they do today.

[shirtless]

Its been a long time since i was last in &lt;deleted&gt;#ket, the place is expensive , service is lousy , local are mostly crooks , transport expensive , beaches are filthy I will never go back to &lt;deleted&gt;#ket again. There are much better Islands. If money is what they want they certainly wont get from me, I also noticed an increase in businesses for sale in POOket.

[bluebluewater]

I've lived my fair share of years in Thailand and read all the stories like these about Phuket which is why I have never been there nor to I expect I ever will.

My money will stay in Thailand but go somewhere else.

[LivinginKata]

Off topic post removed plus all the replies.

[eezergood]

I've lived my fair share of years in Thailand and read all the stories like these about Phuket which is why I have never been there nor to I expect I ever will.

My money will stay in Thailand but go somewhere else.

yup correct, not 1 single redeeming feature of the island!

I also read all the stories about Pattaya, yet i met my wife there & never once ran into any trouble! Its a shame that a farang must do the 'dirty work', is left in a dangerous situation & cannot even get support from his fellow farang!

Edited March 28, 2014 by eezergood

[JulesMad]

Phuket: never boring

Mafia provides full entertainment in every sector on this once so beautiful island

RIP Phuket

[ggt]

But it got in the way of an illegal Thai business I am surprised the police did not show up and arrest all the Farangs for cleaning the place up. I won't ever visit Phuket again I was so disgusted we need to vote with out feet and visit other places where crime is not an institution.

Nha Trang, Vietnam has arguably the most beautiful beach in Asia...no hassles...few vendors...just miles of sand and beautiful beach...beautiful clean water...great scenery...Vietnamese friendly and hospitable...not crowded...not expensive...why not give it a try?

[MyFriend You]

But it got in the way of an illegal Thai business I am surprised the police did not show up and arrest all the Farangs for cleaning the place up. I won't ever visit Phuket again I was so disgusted we need to vote with out feet and visit other places where crime is not an institution.

Nha Trang, Vietnam has arguably the most beautiful beach in Asia...no hassles...few vendors...just miles of sand and beautiful beach...beautiful clean water...great scenery...Vietnamese friendly and hospitable...not crowded...not expensive...why not give it a try?

I spend a lot of time in Nha Trang and have to agree - beats Phuket hands down, not a lot of noise, plenty of nearby venues to buy what you need, beach vendors are friendly, and actually understand the word "No Thank You" (Kom Cam On) smile and go to the next one - f yoiu have been to Nha Trang beach - I know you heard the lady with fruit "Happy Hour, Pineapple, Mango, Banana" she has been doing this for at least 15 years I have been visiting Nha Trang. Sadly, it's the Foreign resuturant owners that rope off the beach, hire strong arm boys to keep the vendors away, put up ugly signs - "No Outside Food can be eaten here" - I think they moved to Vietnam from Phuket

[Jeremy50]

I've lived my fair share of years in Thailand and read all the stories like these about Phuket which is why I have never been there nor to I expect I ever will.

My money will stay in Thailand but go somewhere else.

Yes, sounds like an expensive dump with hostile natives, 15 years in Thailand and I have no plans to ever visit Phuket.

[BigRick]

But it got in the way of an illegal Thai business I am surprised the police did not show up and arrest all the Farangs for cleaning the place up. I won't ever visit Phuket again I was so disgusted we need to vote with out feet and visit other places where crime is not an institution.

Nha Trang, Vietnam has arguably the most beautiful beach in Asia...no hassles...few vendors...just miles of sand and beautiful beach...beautiful clean water...great scenery...Vietnamese friendly and hospitable...not crowded...not expensive...why not give it a try?

I use to live in HCMC for a year+ I like Mua Na better or at least Mua back in early 2000. Na Trang is only so so(Hardly the most beautiful beach in Asia but still very nice) still closer to being Cambodian like than Thai like. No need to be a Thai apologist I was talking about Phuket specifically not Thailand in general. Some of my favorite beaches are well off the beaten track and not heavily touristed. Phuket is expensive the inability to deal with scams is constantly on the news. Where else can the Thai federal police go down and try to do something about it only to have them be sued for slander? The place is no slouch when it comes to beauty but it is completely ruined by greed. This story says it all hardly a place on the beach that someone has not touted out. Nothing says paradise like 50 jet skis zipping around. I will keep my far off the beaten path Tout free islands any day.

Edited March 29, 2014 by BigRick

[eezergood]

But it got in the way of an illegal Thai business I am surprised the police did not show up and arrest all the Farangs for cleaning the place up. I won't ever visit Phuket again I was so disgusted we need to vote with out feet and visit other places where crime is not an institution.

Nha Trang, Vietnam has arguably the most beautiful beach in Asia...no hassles...few vendors...just miles of sand and beautiful beach...beautiful clean water...great scenery...Vietnamese friendly and hospitable...not crowded...not expensive...why not give it a try?

Just back actually! Very nice

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[cottonpusher]

You don't mention if you asked the beach chair rental person if you could use the space. I'm sure if you explained what you were doing they would have welcomed it.

My wife has provided space for the HHH for years, parasail events, surfing events, regattas you name it but these people ask first and it's usually not in high season.

Nai Harn does not operate all year round, most of the families only have 6 months of the year to make a living.

My wife and her relatives have been running a section of the chair rental business for 35 over years on Nai Harn they have a lease on the space that they paid for to the government & renew every 3 years, it's a business like any other they also pay tax it's a decent chunk I can attest to that.

They are limited to how many chairs they can put out.

They remove the rubbish themselves not only the rubbish produced by product they sell but also all the rubbish people bring that don't use her services or is washed up, the beach is raked in the morning & she even supplies ashtrays.

Countless people have been rescued by her & the staff & other vendors over the years risking there lives for others. Not all of them are bad.

Some of the people here who call them mafia have no idea of how it works on Nai Harn, ever noticed they don't allow jet ski's this is one beach that doesn't have mafia on it's beach. Only long standing local residents are entitled to the lease.

One exception to all this is the set up on the southern end of the beach on the rocks, this is operated by a "connected" person hence they can erect permanent structures unlike the umbrella stalls or temporary stalls the other vendors are limited to.

Oh and if anybody is wondering, I don't have anything to do with this business other than being married to somebody that does. I just felt a lot of people here are misinformed & perhaps a little ignorant.

The tourists created this monster not the Thai's they just accommodate the need & greed.

Having lived here for 28 years I more than most here are saddened by the current state of the island shit I once caught the odd lobster for dinner off Patong beach but I assure you not much of the money used to create this chaos & crap was Thai nor were the ideas…..