Why have thai Military cleared patong bay of umbrellas and seats?

[soistranger]

The army is at patong beach everyday filling the truck up with illegals but why they taking the umbrellas and seats away too ?

[casualbiker]

As a measure to ensure that when they come up with a licensing plan with rules the locals will listen and welcome it..

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[submaniac]

From my understanding, there is alot of people operating illegal businesses on public land. Beach area, like in most countries, cannot be owned by an individual person. In Thailand, the beach is property of the Country. What has been done is that people have been squating on public land, setting up bars, setting up seats/umbrellas and charging people money to use or be on the beach. Removing everything is a step in regaining control, which I think is a long time overdue.

[kannot]

because they can

[bendejo]

From my understanding, there is alot of people operating illegal businesses on public land. Beach area, like in most countries, cannot be owned by an individual person. In Thailand, the beach is property of the Country. What has been done is that people have been squating on public land, setting up bars, setting up seats/umbrellas and charging people money to use or be on the beach. Removing everything is a step in regaining control, which I think is a long time overdue.

Makes sense. And I can see how the same logic would apply to cleaning up street vendors in Bangkok and other places. The vendors have to pay someone for their spot even though it is on public property. Of course some gratituity is paid to the authorities as well. Must be a lot of BiB upset that their gravy trains are being disrupted.

[Somtamnication]

All mafia related. So why not?

[simon43]

They are opening a huge, new secondhand goods shop.

Whatever you want to buy, from beach loungers through to restaurant tables will be available at cheap prices...

[Rooo]

Moved to Phuket forum.

[PattayaPhom]

Not being in Patong, is this the main stretch of the beach, last time I was there was 200 pp a chair?

[Jimi007]

Not being in Patong, is this the main stretch of the beach, last time I was there was 200 pp a chair?

Actually it is every beach in Phuket Province that is being cleared of loungers, umbrellas, bars, restaurants and other illegal businesses which were occupying public land. See videos of the cleared beaches here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/742113-tour-of-west-coast-beaches-with-videos/

[eezergood]

Someone miss the memo about the coup?

[klfopera]

It is 100 Baht for a chair, table and umbrella. Don't be so quick to accuse every vendor of mafia connections. I have been going to the area in front of La Flora (formerly Patong Beach Bungalows) for 17 years. The people who ran the operations were locals. Very nice and efficient. Excellent staff took care of you, watched your things. They also kept the beach area clean. I consider them friends and regret they have lost their livelihood.

casual biker says (above)

As a measure to ensure that when they come up with a licensing plan with rules the locals will listen and welcome it..

​I sure hope this is true. But we don't know for sure.

But one thing I am sure of is that we need the umbrellas for sun protection.

[Jimi007]

It is 100 Baht for a chair, table and umbrella. Don't be so quick to accuse every vendor of mafia connections. I have been going to the area in front of La Flora (formerly Patong Beach Bungalows) for 17 years. The people who ran the operations were locals. Very nice and efficient. Excellent staff took care of you, watched your things. They also kept the beach area clean. I consider them friends and regret they have lost their livelihood.

casual biker says (above)

As a measure to ensure that when they come up with a licensing plan with rules the locals will listen and welcome it..

​I sure hope this is true. But we don't know for sure.

But one thing I am sure of is that we need the umbrellas for sun protection.

Try a hat, a t-shirt and sunblock, I still don't have skin cancer after 59 at the beach and there was no SPF 30 or more for most of those decades. The beach is the King's land period, not for rent, not for sale. I support the army cleanup 100%! We always said it would take the army to clean up the corruption here in Phuket. I'm very happy to see they are doing it! If all else fails buy yourself an umbrella, a chair and an ice cooler! I have a nice big one that I got for judging a surf contest years ago in Kata.

[wellred]

Will they be taking on the tuk tuk prices too?

[submaniac]

^^Thought they had already started to do so. A couple of news articles about military talking to taxi/motorcycle taxi/tuk tuk or something to that effect.

[Shot]

[Roel]

They are opening a huge, new secondhand goods shop.

Whatever you want to buy, from beach loungers through to restaurant tables will be available at cheap prices...

The smart ones will store their stuff and wait for the elections next year. Call my cynical. I really hope I am proven wrong and they successfully regulate it with limitations to the extend of allowed businesses. Let the entrepreneurs pay for licenses and use the money for beach cleaning and life guards, not for somebody's new car. Must be legal as then they are not renting public land but paying for maintenance and services.

[LivinginKata]

The smart ones will store their stuff and wait for the elections next year. Call my cynical. I really hope I am proven wrong and they successfully regulate it with limitations to the extend of allowed businesses. Let the entrepreneurs pay for licenses and use the money for beach cleaning and life guards, not for somebody's new car. Must be legal as then they are not renting public land but paying for maintenance and services.

Yes, that's what I think will happen. Licence money goes to the local authority and tax money goes to central government. But I am sure the local officials will find a way to skim some extra money into their own pockets.

[NamKangMan]

^^Thought they had already started to do so. A couple of news articles about military talking to taxi/motorcycle taxi/tuk tuk or something to that effect.

No. Many taxi drivers were arrested, but there was no dismantling of their "association."

They need to break their collusion, in order to allow free market economy forces to apply to the industry.

Or, better still, arrange for a set price public transport system to start operating, similar to a Pattaya baht bus system, and take the association's ability to set the prices out of the equation, altogther.

[NamKangMan]

They are opening a huge, new secondhand goods shop.

Whatever you want to buy, from beach loungers through to restaurant tables will be available at cheap prices...

The smart ones will store their stuff and wait for the elections next year. Call my cynical. I really hope I am proven wrong and they successfully regulate it with limitations to the extend of allowed businesses. Let the entrepreneurs pay for licenses and use the money for beach cleaning and life guards, not for somebody's new car. Must be legal as then they are not renting public land but paying for maintenance and services.

"The smart ones will store their stuff and wait for the elections next year." - I'm not so sure the election will be held next year.

I think the Thai Military will be in control longer than that.

That said, ASEAN starts next year, so, you may be right, they may want/need to have a Governmnet in place.

[surangw]

will there be an auction soon?