Phuket's Surin Beach 'may be stripped of all businesses'

[stevenl]

"Yes and when you're at home it's easy, grab stuff from fridge, haul the kids to the car but when on holiday and staying in a hotel room it's not so easy is it, really?"

It's not that difficult either. Coolers are not hard to find, 7-11s sell ice along with other food and drink. For the folks who are on holiday who don't give a toss what happens to environment I have no sympathy. For those of us that happen to live here, I think most would like it to look clean, natural as possible, and nothing to be ashamed of.

If it really is happening, no beach chairs and no vendors on the beach I will be very, very happy. And for those people who want their drinks on the beach anyway: just cross the road, always directly behind the beach, and you'll find plenty of vendors there.

[daoyai]

This policy should extend nationwide, Islands naturally recede with time and erosion, all structures should be setback, all seawalls removed so sand can replenish.

[slygeeza]

arent there plenty of beaches in non tourist areas where the expats can go and live if they dont like the tourist trappings? maybe their tastes change as they get old?

[phuketrichard]

This is the same as the land on the right hand side of So Bangla heading east,

Originally given to places that were on Patong beach but forced out

How many times have they changed hands, for how many millions of Baht>

PLUS they need look into the land titles of all the places on the other side of the sidewalk in Kamala,

How many of those shops/restaurants/bungalows are legal?

If your going to clean the island up then clean the whole island up>>>>

Edited June 18, 2014 by phuketrichard

[Dap]

Amazing. Tourism figures already suffering so what can they do next? Well we did the curfew ermm...Oh, let's see, how about making beaches places where you can't lay on the beach on a sunbed and get a beer!! Great stuff, I heard Vietnam has nice beaches though, and you can get lunch and a glass of wine too! And everybody here saying "quite right, if it's not legal they should go" will be the same people whining about how Thailand doesn't do enough to get tourists in... Incredible mentality of an already pretty much <removed> up country. Too bad, such a glorious country be stripped bare

I got me a big beach towel to lay on and an isky to hold my cold ones.

No problem here mate

[stevenl]

arent there plenty of beaches in non tourist areas where the expats can go and live if they dont like the tourist trappings? maybe their tastes change as they get old?

I don't think there is any connection here with expats, simply with trying to preserve (or reclaiming) Phuket. Also tourists like beautiful beaches, there is a reason on all brochures the beaches look just like 15 or more years ago. And on the promotional photos you don't see sunloungers 5 rows deep.

[Doc46]

Just goes to show you the Thai mentality towards laws; both officials and villagers.

Yea ,to say this very nicely;;;;THEY DON'T GIVE A FLYING FOX ABOUT THE LAW;;;;; say no more !

[LivinginKata]

I got me a big beach towel to lay on and an isky to hold my cold ones.

No problem here mate

I see more and more tourists doing just that on Kata Beach. Mosty all the Russians, lay out the towel, liquid refreshmants in a big bag. Sabai Jai. Day of the beach seat vendors is doomed.

[BradinAsia]

Just goes to show you the Thai mentality towards laws; both officials and villagers.

Here we go with the snobbish comments about Thai mentality...

Is Thai mentality any different from that of your home country?

If anything, I'd say that overall Thai mentality is superior. Show me a tourist area

in any of your home countries that doesn't have shysters, chiselers and cheats.

[dominique355]

Just goes to show you the Thai mentality towards laws; both officials and villagers.

... or the efficency of the Police to enforce the law.

[NamKangMan]

Just goes to show you the Thai mentality towards laws; both officials and villagers.

Here we go with the snobbish comments about Thai mentality...

Is Thai mentality any different from that of your home country?

If anything, I'd say that overall Thai mentality is superior. Show me a tourist area

in any of your home countries that doesn't have shysters, chiselers and cheats.

"If anything, I'd say that overall Thai mentality is superior." - sure. That's why Thailand is so successful on the world stage.

[bmiller1985]

Agree with the government on all levels on this one. you cant just build structures on public land...i mean whats next, illegal logging? And I personally have never require a chair to enjoy a great beach, in fact, I think most of my favorite areas are chairless anyway.

[Colabamumbai]

if they dont hold a valid lease agreement or a chanote then it must go ...this is public land NOT for someone just to take

But this is what people do in Thailand, maybe because they are used to squating??

[Colabamumbai]

Just goes to show you the Thai mentality towards laws; both officials and villagers.

Here we go with the snobbish comments about Thai mentality...

Is Thai mentality any different from that of your home country?

If anything, I'd say that overall Thai mentality is superior. Show me a tourist area

in any of your home countries that doesn't have shysters, chiselers and cheats.

Obviously you have never been to Canada.

[sanuk711]

"Yes and when you're at home it's easy, grab stuff from fridge, haul the kids to the car but when on holiday and staying in a hotel room it's not so easy is it, really?---Alwyn"

If there is a need it will be filled--some Thai entrepreneur, will start a hire business for chill bins, What's the main comment Japanese & other tourist make about Australia--Beautiful Beaches, that country doesn't allow businesses to steal the beaches away from the people. You can not walk the Beach in Pattaya---just no room its all been stolen by the deck chair people--whether there are people or not, the Beach is still taken over with Tables & chairs hired out for a profit, I just hope its next in line. Let the food / beach chairs / etc set up a temporary stall near the beach, that's taken away at night, don't let them steal the beaches, they belong to the people.

[Alwyn]

Amazing. Tourism figures already suffering so what can they do next? Well we did the curfew ermm...Oh, let's see, how about making beaches places where you can't lay on the beach on a sunbed and get a beer!! Great stuff, I heard Vietnam has nice beaches though, and you can get lunch and a glass of wine too! And everybody here saying "quite right, if it's not legal they should go" will be the same people whining about how Thailand doesn't do enough to get tourists in... Incredible mentality of an already pretty much <removed> up country. Too bad, such a glorious country be stripped bare

I got me a big beach towel to lay on and an isky to hold my cold ones.

No problem here mate

Cool!!!

[BradinAsia]

Just goes to show you the Thai mentality towards laws; both officials and villagers.

Here we go with the snobbish comments about Thai mentality...

Is Thai mentality any different from that of your home country?

If anything, I'd say that overall Thai mentality is superior. Show me a tourist area

in any of your home countries that doesn't have shysters, chiselers and cheats.

Obviously you have never been to Canada.

You may have a point. I used to live in U.S. near Canada. Canada may just be an exception, made many

trips to Canadian Niagara Falls. Don't recall meeting any shysters there, unlike the U.S. side... ;-)

[NamKangMan]

Amazing. Tourism figures already suffering so what can they do next? Well we did the curfew ermm...Oh, let's see, how about making beaches places where you can't lay on the beach on a sunbed and get a beer!! Great stuff, I heard Vietnam has nice beaches though, and you can get lunch and a glass of wine too! And everybody here saying "quite right, if it's not legal they should go" will be the same people whining about how Thailand doesn't do enough to get tourists in... Incredible mentality of an already pretty much <removed> up country. Too bad, such a glorious country be stripped bare

I got me a big beach towel to lay on and an isky to hold my cold ones.

No problem here mate

But the Thai's don't want you to do that on THEIR beaches.

They want you pay for a sun chair and buy beer from them.

You see, the beach is not there for you to enjoy on your holiday. The beach is there for them to demand money from you to use.

[NamKangMan]

I don't work here. I actually put into the economy, and take nothing out.

I'm not racists. I've lived and worked around the world.

I have nothing against Thai's, but I have no problem saying I despise the "influential people" on Phuket and what they have done to this once great place to holiday on. I have no respect for them, as they have no respect for me.

They have been allowed to use this island as their own cash cow, illegally, for so long.

If you detect any "negative stereotypes of Thai's" in my posts, I assure you, it's against those individuals, and not Thai's in general.

In regards to Phuket being "lawless" - well, if you haven't noticed the massive corruption here, and rising crime, maybe you should have a chat to the Thai Army who do see it. They will point it out to you.

[belg]

so after the tsunami, people could stay there for free

but than sold their rights to others ?

how can they sell a right without any papers

[LivinginKata]

A flame removed.

[Suradit69]

Just goes to show you the Thai mentality towards laws; both officials and villagers.

And your comment speaks volumes about your holier-than-thou mentality towards everyone who happens to be Thai because, as always, the Farang Fantasy Factory assumes there is a single Thai mentality or a Thai way of behaving.

I suppose, given all the corruption and greed that precipitated the recent world-wide financial crisis and which continues unabated and unpunished, that that shows you the farang mentality ( yes, every last one of them) towards laws.

[phuketsurfer]

YES!!!!! The beach chair mafia is on the run!!!! The illegal taxis were tearing down their shacks last week. This is all good news to me. Hopefully all of those beach chairs in Nai Harn don't return for high season. Most of them are gone now as of this week. I guessed that it was only due to the high surf. We can only wait and see.

[Pinot]

Please Please Please be Nay Yang Beach Next....bulldoze all the buildings on the beach with the taxi Mafia inside them.....It is like the wild wild west in Nay Yang now with everyone including the local police ignoring the laws...!

Also set a licensing and control policy for any taxis operating at the beach and make them leave their cars in the northern end of the park, leaving the roads clear of many black cabs.

Please General get the military in to sort the mess out.

Here in Kamala, it's just been a miracle. Most of the encroachment is gone. A huge shout out to the military.

And they're not taking prisoners. I think they have so much on their plates right now they're holding off on Patong and south.

It's coming. There is nothing to stop the Army now. The only thing that's going to be left on the King's beach...is sand.

It's tough to have any empathy with the business interests. The argument that it's going to hurt the local economy doesn't hold water. There is no unemployment.

A tourist wants to come here and have a beer on the beach. It's good for tourism. That's something he can't do in his western country but it should be okay here?

This has been a wonderful thing to see.

[NamKangMan]

Just goes to show you the Thai mentality towards laws; both officials and villagers.

And your comment speaks volumes about your holier-than-thou mentality towards everyone who happens to be Thai because, as always, the Farang Fantasy Factory assumes there is a single Thai mentality or a Thai way of behaving.

I suppose, given all the corruption and greed that precipitated the recent world-wide financial crisis and which continues unabated and unpunished, that that shows you the farang mentality ( yes, every last one of them) towards laws.

If the business is on public land, because corruption money has been paid, then the person who owns the business is breaking the law, and the person who allowed them to set up the business, at their specific illegal location, for a corrupt payment/s, is also breaking the law.

I don't see it as "holier than thou" - I see it as corruption, and it's been allowed to get way out of hand on Phuket, for way too long.

I mean, seriously, concrete building structures on the beach? Everyone knows that it's public land, and most probably the property of The King.

Corruption has allowed the business to be built, and to remain, on land that no individual had the right to allow it to be built on.

Since when did these "influential people" think they had so much power, and why are they complaining that they have to obey the law, like every other Thai in Thailand?

Surely, there must be a line in the sand (no pun intended) for a tolerable amount of corruption, after all, we are living in Thailand, but the Thai Army obviously saw it as way too much here, and have stepped in.

I hope it goes island wide, and all the way.

Remember, Phuket is not being oppressed by this. Phuket is just being bought into line with the rest of Thailand.

[mok199]

Wish they would ban all the beach chairs etc on Cha Am beach as well. The people

that own the chairs think that they own the parking area in front of the beach also

and throw a fit if you park in front of their area.

they do the same thing in pattaya,but take it to a new low,we have new public seating on our beach rd,and the beach chair pirates set thier personal belongings on the public seating for the entire day..taking rude to another level..

[Arkady]

A friend quit a hotel project in Phuket after he naively tried to clear vendors from the beach front land his employers had bought to break ground and the former mayor of Patong's men showed up with assault rifles. Guess things are different now but for how long?

[mok199]

we have lost all our little quite soi's in pattaya,they are now riuned, by tour buses that use them as short cuts,to avoid traffic...pattaya has become a city with no style ,class or history...this is greed and the over development of a once amazing country.kaa-ching kaa-ching...''when you find paradise,kiss it good bye''..the eagles....

[NamKangMan]

A friend quit a hotel project in Phuket after he naively tried to clear vendors from the beach front land his employers had bought to break ground and the former mayor of Patong's men showed up with assault rifles. Guess things are different now but for how long?

There's not many major tourist destinations in the world where an Army presence has been good for the tourism industry.

However, if the Army keep going in the same direction as they have, since coming to Phuket, they probably will attract tourists back to Phuket, no repell them, like previous administrations have.

Amazing Thailand.

Edited June 18, 2014 by NamKangMan

[Alwyn]

Amazing. Tourism figures already suffering so what can they do next? Well we did the curfew ermm...Oh, let's see, how about making beaches places where you can't lay on the beach on a sunbed and get a beer!! Great stuff, I heard Vietnam has nice beaches though, and you can get lunch and a glass of wine too! And everybody here saying "quite right, if it's not legal they should go" will be the same people whining about how Thailand doesn't do enough to get tourists in... Incredible mentality of an already pretty much <removed> up country. Too bad, such a glorious country be stripped bare

I got me a big beach towel to lay on and an isky to hold my cold ones.

No problem here mate

But the Thai's don't want you to do that on THEIR beaches.

They want you pay for a sun chair and buy beer from them.

You see, the beach is not there for you to enjoy on your holiday. The beach is there for them to demand money from you to use.

A bit like almost every beach in the World then really?