Yes the encroachers all being evicted today at Yanui and Nai Harn beaches..

Also I see the buissnes's along Viset road today tearing down all additions not complying with the rules they got the 7 Day order or army will do it for them...

Wonderful stuff...

Great news!

Nai Yang next??? (I hope)

I can't believe this is real! It's so refreshing to witness some semblance of law enforcement here. Give Thailand back to the people.

Yes it is nice to see that something has finally been done about illegal encroachment and lack of beach space due to the overabundance of beach chairs and vendors BUT........I have heard from two of the people who took down their massage booth and chair concession that they attended a meeting at the ORBOJOR and they were told not to worry ..........that they would be able to put it all back up again by the time high season begins........?

Yes it is nice to see that something has finally been done about illegal encroachment and lack of beach space due to the overabundance of beach chairs and vendors BUT........I have heard from two of the people who took down their massage booth and chair concession that they attended a meeting at the ORBOJOR and they were told not to worry ..........that they would be able to put it all back up again by the time high season begins........?

Could be the case, you never know here.

But considering what is happening now and that the military will still be in power by then, I think the Orbortor people are hoping that is the case.

Yes it is nice to see that something has finally been done about illegal encroachment and lack of beach space due to the overabundance of beach chairs and vendors BUT........I have heard from two of the people who took down their massage booth and chair concession that they attended a meeting at the ORBOJOR and they were told not to worry ..........that they would be able to put it all back up again by the time high season begins........?

Could be the case, you never know here.

But considering what is happening now and that the military will still be in power by then, I think the Orbortor people are hoping that is the case.

The military may still be in power, but will they still be on Phuket, that is the question.

Yes it is nice to see that something has finally been done about illegal encroachment and lack of beach space due to the overabundance of beach chairs and vendors BUT........I have heard from two of the people who took down their massage booth and chair concession that they attended a meeting at the ORBOJOR and they were told not to worry ..........that they would be able to put it all back up again by the time high season begins........?

Could be the case, you never know here.

But considering what is happening now and that the military will still be in power by then, I think the Orbortor people are hoping that is the case.

The military may still be in power, but will they still be on Phuket, that is the question.

No reason not to have the military stay in Phuket, plenty of conscripts. I was at Nai Harn today and all the umbrellas and chairs were gone, but the guy with the restaurant at the end of the beach still had his structure standing. Maybe he will just let the army knock it down for him.

They cleaned up nai Harn beach ages ago

There is a large navel base on Phuket so the military is always here

Yes it is nice to see that something has finally been done about illegal encroachment and lack of beach space due to the overabundance of beach chairs and vendors BUT........I have heard from two of the people who took down their massage booth and chair concession that they attended a meeting at the ORBOJOR and they were told not to worry ..........that they would be able to put it all back up again by the time high season begins........?

Could be the case, you never know here.

But considering what is happening now and that the military will still be in power by then, I think the Orbortor people are hoping that is the case.

Hopefully there will just be a reorganization where there is a lotto for permits and everything is on the up-and-up.

Both sides of the coin here, during high season there are a certain amount of tourists that like the chairs and drink service so people should be allowed to run those but lets just have it done properly, two rows of chairs max, business permits etc.

Hooray for eviction of the Yanui Beach people. They were really egregious to the point of not even letting people put towels down in the sand.

Yes it is nice to see that something has finally been done about illegal encroachment and lack of beach space due to the overabundance of beach chairs and vendors BUT........I have heard from two of the people who took down their massage booth and chair concession that they attended a meeting at the ORBOJOR and they were told not to worry ..........that they would be able to put it all back up again by the time high season begins........?

I think the Oborjor may be getting an invitation to attend a meeting with Army seniors soon. This is the very attitude being targeted by the NCPO, what a fool!

Yes I see it happening good stuff however it needs some supervising as they never really finish the job, leaving crap everywhere and even burying stuff on the beach.

BTW what's the situation at Ao Sane?

Great news!

Nai Yang next??? (I hope)

Don't hold your breathe Simon, Nai Yang is allegedly a special case and there is purported to be a memorandum of understanding between the National Park and the beach restauranteurs.

As the cliche goes "All will be revealed in the fullness of time" (perhaps)

I remember a story a few months back where a group of early morning exercisers were told to get off the (his) beach by a sunbed and umbrella vender on Nai Han.

How the tables have turned!

I remember a story a few months back where a group of early morning exercisers were told to get off the (his) beach by a sunbed and umbrella vender on Nai Han.

How the tables have turned!

Indeed. What was pretty telling was the old Thai guy, the "president" of the nai harn chairs association, said that the exercise group that cleaned up the beach should pay the beach chair guys for the privilege of exercising in their patch. Nice to see these guys are out of there. I was at Nai Harn today and it was so nice to see the beach free of chairs, stalls, vendors etc. However, all of those illegal vendors that cleared out did not pick up their trash, so it did not look as as pristine as it should.

I remember a story a few months back where a group of early morning exercisers were told to get off the (his) beach by a sunbed and umbrella vender on Nai Han.

How the tables have turned!

Indeed. What was pretty telling was the old Thai guy, the "president" of the nai harn chairs association, said that the exercise group that cleaned up the beach should pay the beach chair guys for the privilege of exercising in their patch. Nice to see these guys are out of there. I was at Nai Harn today and it was so nice to see the beach free of chairs, stalls, vendors etc. However, all of those illegal vendors that cleared out did not pick up their trash, so it did not look as as pristine as it should.

There are still cement rings and other foundations of the massage huts at the "Yacht Club" end of the beach. Interesting that is closed for "renovation ." Restaurants were putting tables back in the tree area, even while some were still tearing down their structures. Ya Nui had loungers out again today. And the restaurant still isn't gone off the rocks in Nai Harn. I saw the owner today looking at what happened to the places on the beach in Rawai near the Or Bor Jor office. I think the army will have to keep up the pressure as these guys don't seem to get it...

Edited July 6, 201412 yr by Jimi007

Took the little bloke for a dip at the extreme Nth end of Kata yai again today, just loving the looks on the faces of the jerks who had the huts there, not as smug as they were for so many years, one prick that told me to move my car a few times over the yrs(not in the way or blocking anything at all) couldn't even look me in the eye.

Edited July 6, 201412 yr by beechbum

Yes it is nice to see that something has finally been done about illegal encroachment and lack of beach space due to the overabundance of beach chairs and vendors BUT........I have heard from two of the people who took down their massage booth and chair concession that they attended a meeting at the ORBOJOR and they were told not to worry ..........that they would be able to put it all back up again by the time high season begins........?

I have thai friends who just lost their illegal restaurant in Rawai behind the orbojor who are saying the same thing. Think it is a story so not to loose face

Sorry, can't resist...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aXpty_1xo4

I surprised at the extent of tear downs at Nai Harn it includes shops on the other side of the road next to the Mini Mart!

With the chairs and massage areas cleaned out of Nai Harn there suddenly seemed to be an overabundance of plastic bottles and other refuse. And what is to be done with the rubber tire retaining walls that provided a flumdation for the massage platforms? Maybe the illegal operators should be ordered to clean the beach and drop those walls in lieu of a fat fine.

Removing umbrellas is fine with this weather, but there will be a huge increase of grilled russians when the sun comes back. Going to the beach at midday is already crazy with a blond skin, it will be suicidal without umbrellas.

Many tourists don't realise how strong is the sun at this latitude, 20 minutes with a washed up sunblock is just enough to get a huge sunburn. Military hand in hand with aloe vera vendors?

This all sounds like the usual Thai way of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. I haven't visited my local beach, Nai Harn, for two years or more during high season because every inch had been covered with loungers and their attendant drinks/food outlets. However, they were tolerable when the first few and just one drinks outlet were present and then of course everyone and his dog got in on the act. The issue has always been regulation and enforcement of such. I agree, can you imagine all those tourists sitting under trees with a bottle of something bought from the 7/11? (And then leaving all their crap there instead of taking it back to their hotels to dispose of, owing to the lack of any trash bins?) This isn't Brighton, they simply won't go to the beaches and that's what they came here for.

Having said that, Nai Harn was once the 'expat beach'being small and out of the way and went downhill as soon as the quaint little restaurants were replaced by hotels. Rawai is not a swimming beach, neither is it a walking beach due to all the boat ropes, and so a few of the little folding tables and mats on the beach, used mainly by Thais, should be allowed to stay.

Regulation and enforcement of such should have been implemented instead of scorched earth. You know, the Middle Way. .

I agree that some sort of beach service should be available for tourists, BUT it must be tightly regulated. No corruption by gov officals taking money under the table to allow more chairs, bigger stalls. I sort of assume the complete clear out will then lead on to a smaller regulated concession rights.

This all sounds like the usual Thai way of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. I haven't visited my local beach, Nai Harn, for two years or more during high season because every inch had been covered with loungers and their attendant drinks/food outlets. However, they were tolerable when the first few and just one drinks outlet were present and then of course everyone and his dog got in on the act. The issue has always been regulation and enforcement of such. I agree, can you imagine all those tourists sitting under trees with a bottle of something bought from the 7/11? (And then leaving all their crap there instead of taking it back to their hotels to dispose of, owing to the lack of any trash bins?) This isn't Brighton, they simply won't go to the beaches and that's what they came here for.

Having said that, Nai Harn was once the 'expat beach'being small and out of the way and went downhill as soon as the quaint little restaurants were replaced by hotels. Rawai is not a swimming beach, neither is it a walking beach due to all the boat ropes, and so a few of the little folding tables and mats on the beach, used mainly by Thais, should be allowed to stay.

Regulation and enforcement of such should have been implemented instead of scorched earth. You know, the Middle Way. .

So it's okay with you that people take over public land for their own profit? I never understood why it was tolerated in the first place. I'm very happy watching all these people having to clear all their crap off of the King's land. As for not going to the beach because of a lack of loungers, really? California never had and never will have rental loungers on the beaches. People do bring their own umbrellas etc though. Here's a recent photo of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on a holiday weekend. Plenty of people enjoying it without a lounger or food service on the beaches. But they do put out trash bins, unlike here.

I agree that some sort of beach service should be available for tourists, BUT it must be tightly regulated. No corruption by gov officals taking money under the table to allow more chairs, bigger stalls. I sort of assume the complete clear out will then lead on to a smaller regulated concession rights.

There should be a beach service of chairs food and drinks etc, I should be put out to

tender and the money go into govt revenue not some corrupt officials pocket and limited

to certain sections of the beach leaving other sections empty

Also the people who previously had beach concessions should not be allowed to tender

if they do not clean up the current mess they have left on Nai Harn beach

I agree that some sort of beach service should be available for tourists, BUT it must be tightly regulated. No corruption by gov officals taking money under the table to allow more chairs, bigger stalls. I sort of assume the complete clear out will then lead on to a smaller regulated concession rights.

There should be a beach service of chairs food and drinks etc, I should be put out to

tender and the money go into govt revenue not some corrupt officials pocket and limited

to certain sections of the beach leaving other sections empty

Also the people who previously had beach concessions should not be allowed to tender

if they do not clean up the current mess they have left on Nai Harn beach

I, sorry, my wife, would be interested in such a tender.

Traditionally, only people that were actually born in the local area of the beach were allowed to have a beach lounger concession.

Naiharn loungers were rented out by people from Naiharn and Rawai. Patong was for those born in Patong.

Don't know how it was at the end. I suspect many local people sold their concessions.

This all sounds like the usual Thai way of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. I haven't visited my local beach, Nai Harn, for two years or more during high season because every inch had been covered with loungers and their attendant drinks/food outlets. However, they were tolerable when the first few and just one drinks outlet were present and then of course everyone and his dog got in on the act. The issue has always been regulation and enforcement of such. I agree, can you imagine all those tourists sitting under trees with a bottle of something bought from the 7/11? (And then leaving all their crap there instead of taking it back to their hotels to dispose of, owing to the lack of any trash bins?) This isn't Brighton, they simply won't go to the beaches and that's what they came here for.

Having said that, Nai Harn was once the 'expat beach'being small and out of the way and went downhill as soon as the quaint little restaurants were replaced by hotels. Rawai is not a swimming beach, neither is it a walking beach due to all the boat ropes, and so a few of the little folding tables and mats on the beach, used mainly by Thais, should be allowed to stay.

Regulation and enforcement of such should have been implemented instead of scorched earth. You know, the Middle Way. .

So it's okay with you that people take over public land for their own profit? I never understood why it was tolerated in the first place. I'm very happy watching all these people having to clear all their crap off of the King's land. As for not going to the beach because of a lack of loungers, really? California never had and never will have rental loungers on the beaches. People do bring their own umbrellas etc though. Here's a recent photo of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on a holiday weekend. Plenty of people enjoying it without a lounger or food service on the beaches. But they do put out trash bins, unlike here.

10403505_10152335465378110_6462874225063692740_n.jpg

No, I did not say it was okay with me that people take over public land for profit and if you care to re read my post you will see I merely stated that tourists arriving in the tropics (not California last time I looked) would certainly not feel comfortable sitting in the heat with no drink outlets to boot, and that regulation and enforcement thereof would be the way to go. Pragmatically.

I've been here 17+ years and would prefer it all to go back to the way it was but that is unrealistic. I give not a flying one for the tourists (or 90% of my 'fellow expats' come to that) and notwithstanding the terrible loss of life caused by the tsunami had hoped that a large part of the island were returned to it's natural state. Of course it wasn't. Therefore, the anethema that is 'common sense' should come in to play or it will, at some time in the not distant future, be forced to.

So it's okay with you that people take over public land for their own profit? I never understood why it was tolerated in the first place. I'm very happy watching all these people having to clear all their crap off of the King's land. As for not going to the beach because of a lack of loungers, really? California never had and never will have rental loungers on the beaches. People do bring their own umbrellas etc though. Here's a recent photo of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on a holiday weekend. Plenty of people enjoying it without a lounger or food service on the beaches. But they do put out trash bins, unlike here.

That beach looks awful. I can just imagine the smell of sweat, sun tan lotion, cigarettes, and Lord knows what coming from the "neighbours" <shudder> .

This all sounds like the usual Thai way of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. I haven't visited my local beach, Nai Harn, for two years or more during high season because every inch had been covered with loungers and their attendant drinks/food outlets. However, they were tolerable when the first few and just one drinks outlet were present and then of course everyone and his dog got in on the act. The issue has always been regulation and enforcement of such. I agree, can you imagine all those tourists sitting under trees with a bottle of something bought from the 7/11? (And then leaving all their crap there instead of taking it back to their hotels to dispose of, owing to the lack of any trash bins?) This isn't Brighton, they simply won't go to the beaches and that's what they came here for.

Having said that, Nai Harn was once the 'expat beach'being small and out of the way and went downhill as soon as the quaint little restaurants were replaced by hotels. Rawai is not a swimming beach, neither is it a walking beach due to all the boat ropes, and so a few of the little folding tables and mats on the beach, used mainly by Thais, should be allowed to stay.

Regulation and enforcement of such should have been implemented instead of scorched earth. You know, the Middle Way. .

So it's okay with you that people take over public land for their own profit? I never understood why it was tolerated in the first place. I'm very happy watching all these people having to clear all their crap off of the King's land. As for not going to the beach because of a lack of loungers, really? California never had and never will have rental loungers on the beaches. People do bring their own umbrellas etc though. Here's a recent photo of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on a holiday weekend. Plenty of people enjoying it without a lounger or food service on the beaches. But they do put out trash bins, unlike here.

10403505_10152335465378110_6462874225063692740_n.jpg

No, I did not say it was okay with me that people take over public land for profit and if you care to re read my post you will see I merely stated that tourists arriving in the tropics (not California last time I looked) would certainly not feel comfortable sitting in the heat with no drink outlets to boot, and that regulation and enforcement thereof would be the way to go. Pragmatically.

I've been here 17+ years and would prefer it all to go back to the way it was but that is unrealistic. I give not a flying one for the tourists (or 90% of my 'fellow expats' come to that) and notwithstanding the terrible loss of life caused by the tsunami had hoped that a large part of the island were returned to it's natural state. Of course it wasn't. Therefore, the anethema that is 'common sense' should come in to play or it will, at some time in the not distant future, be forced to.

Yes, "regulation" worked so well after the tsunami. It just allowed more graft and corruption. There seems to be no"common sense," especially amongst government officials in Phuket, who payed for their positions and want to reap their rewards.