Will the deckchairs make a re-appearance in time for high season?

[wellred]

I don't mind sitting on a towel on the sand but being able to shield myself from the sun when it's beating down on me is the main reason I like using the deckchairs. Are they going to be re-installed at some point? (with some proper regulation) or are they gone for good?

[Shot]

I hope so. I hope they are gone forever. Now that the illegal businesses are gone, you can sit under the trees to shield yourself from the sun at many beaches. The beaches with no trees…..Improvise, adapt and overcome.

[KarenBravo]

Rent a beach umbrella.

I'm sure you will be able to during high season.

[wellred]

Rent a beach umbrella.

I'm sure you will be able to during high season.

Thanks. Fingers crossed.

[phuketandsee]

They'll be back for sure. Along with all the illegal businesses.

[falkan]

hope to never see these beach boys again!

[KarenBravo]

They'll be back for sure. Along with all the illegal businesses.

Not this high season they won't. Army will still be here.

[LivinginKata]

I see may tourists happily lazing on their towels under the tree line of Kata beach. Well, before all the flotsam was washed up on the beach.

[wellred]

hope to never see these beach boys again!

What's wrong with them? And if they are not there who is going to come and take my orders and bring my fresh fruit shakes?

[NamKangMan]

I think what we may see is the beach chair and umbrella hirers will be off the sand. A tourists will hire one and it will be carried down to the sand for them, thus, the commercial transaction has not taken place on the sand, therefore the business is not operating on the sand.

This will ensure those who want a chair and umbrella, can hire one, but the sand will no longer be "owned" by these vendors, so there will be room for those you prefer to lay on a towel, hopefully without any further harassment.

I expect the footpath on Beach Road to be quite cluttered with these stackable chairs, unless they make the vendors transport them away for storage at the end of each day.

[fiddlehead]

You may badmouth the beach chair guys, but, ...... if they don't return, you'll badmouth the litter even more.

Who do you think cleans and rakes the beach every morning?

[Jimi007]

I see may tourists happily lazing on their towels under the tree line of Kata beach. Well, before all the flotsam was washed up on the beach.

It washes up on every west coast beach at this time of year… It is the monsoonal tide season. Next full moon, expect more as well as more beach erosion. When they put up seawalls, it changes the natural beach. The sand gets washed away… Oh well. Nature will take it's course eventually! Too bad people try to mess with nature...

[NamKangMan]

You may badmouth the beach chair guys, but, ...... if they don't return, you'll badmouth the litter even more.

Who do you think cleans and rakes the beach every morning?

"Who do you think cleans and rakes the beach every morning?" - isn't it Don mcLean, and members of the Surfrider Foundation Phuket?

[Guest]

You may badmouth the beach chair guys, but, ...... if they don't return, you'll badmouth the litter even more.

Who do you think cleans and rakes the beach every morning?

Maybe they could use the money collect from the beach boys to the government saving bank to pay for the salaries of the cleaning army. That money should be enough to hire huge amount of people and should last for years.

[lufc74]

I'm not down the beach that much, probably once a week, and then I'll walk a little, so the current situation suits me, but I know a few people who will not return to thailand if they've no chairs. High season, there will not enough room under the shaded tree areas and any families with young children will not spend 5 hours in the sun, same for the older tourists. As mentioned by someone, who will clean up the beach. What about refreshments, stuck in the middle of karon beach with nothing around, not a good situation for tourists. My guess will be that they will return, under some sort of regulated rule......who knows, this is thailand. Bottom line is though, wether people like it or not, no beach chairs equals, in the long run, less tourists. Just my penny's worth.

[EBlair48]

I think the beach lounges and umbrellas are popular with tourists who will lament their passing. I know I will.

If Phuket is to be a " high end tourist" destination, there needs to be some beaches that have this luxury. It was the complete take over that needed culling.

I say have a lottery for a few vendors, and even some restaurants, tax the winners and buy some machines that really do a proper job of sifting the sand, it needs it with all the demolition.

T he problem is Thais cannot be trusted to leave it at that, and so it's all or nothing. ( So typical of nation's woes- )

Those that want nothing but nature well go to Surin National Park off Kao Lak , or on Phuket, Sirinart Marine Park- Oh but Nikki Breach has ruined that experience with it's horrid bass thudding house music covering the entire north end of Bang Tao ... yet ... it is allowed to stay..

What I see in these beach clearings is a lot of harassment of low wage workers.

[Bulldozer Dawn]

Your OP is hopelessly flawed because it includes the presumption that there will be a high season.

[simon43]

Your OP is hopelessly flawed because it includes the presumption that there will be a high season.

It will certainly be interesting to see what 'high season' brings.

Last year, the monsoon rains continued throughout October, so the high season started rather late.

For my business, the only difference between low and high season is the room rate, up to 3 times higher during peak season. If there is no high season, (and tourist numbers are about the same for each month throughout the year), then there will be a severe 'culling' of local businesses. It will be survival of the fittest, with the 'winner' winning the majority of the market segment as their competitors fall by the wayside.

Interesting times (but not fun times), for businesses in Phuket.

To those businesses I ask 'have you got an emergency plan B?' You should have.

[Rorri]

Rent a beach umbrella.

I'm sure you will be able to during high season.

Thanks. Fingers crossed.

Rent, if available, or do as so many Australian families do, buy and carry your own, they are no heavy or expensive.

[Rorri]

hope to never see these beach boys again!

What's wrong with them? And if they are not there who is going to come and take my orders and bring my fresh fruit shakes?

Do what many Australians do, bring your own or get off your lazy ass and go to the nearest shop/kiosk. If millions of aussies can do it, I'm sure you can.

[Rorri]

You may badmouth the beach chair guys, but, ...... if they don't return, you'll badmouth the litter even more.

Who do you think cleans and rakes the beach every morning?

Australian beaches are almost spotless, most beach goes have respect for the environment, those that haven't are quickly "encouraged verbally" to take their rubbish with them, there are big fines for littering, the beaches are patrolled by council rangers and the beaches are maintain by local authorities.

[Rorri]

I'm not down the beach that much, probably once a week, and then I'll walk a little, so the current situation suits me, but I know a few people who will not return to thailand if they've no chairs. High season, there will not enough room under the shaded tree areas and any families with young children will not spend 5 hours in the sun, same for the older tourists. As mentioned by someone, who will clean up the beach. What about refreshments, stuck in the middle of karon beach with nothing around, not a good situation for tourists. My guess will be that they will return, under some sort of regulated rule......who knows, this is thailand. Bottom line is though, wether people like it or not, no beach chairs equals, in the long run, less tourists. Just my penny's worth.

Wow, I didn't realise tourists came to Phuket only for the chairs. Here's me thinking there was so much more to see and do. Oh, no chairs on Australian beaches, with thousands of tourists coming and enjoying them.

[Peterocket]

You may badmouth the beach chair guys, but, ...... if they don't return, you'll badmouth the litter even more.

Who do you think cleans and rakes the beach every morning?

Australian beaches are almost spotless, most beach goes have respect for the environment, those that haven't are quickly "encouraged verbally" to take their rubbish with them, there are big fines for littering, the beaches are patrolled by council rangers and the beaches are maintain by local authorities.

I can't wait to see the Phuket council rangers out cleaning the beaches.

Given the dog takeover that seems to be happening now on the beaches maybe someone can train them to pick up the litter?!

[robblok]

I think the beach lounges and umbrellas are popular with tourists who will lament their passing. I know I will.

If Phuket is to be a " high end tourist" destination, there needs to be some beaches that have this luxury. It was the complete take over that needed culling.

I say have a lottery for a few vendors, and even some restaurants, tax the winners and buy some machines that really do a proper job of sifting the sand, it needs it with all the demolition.

T he problem is Thais cannot be trusted to leave it at that, and so it's all or nothing. ( So typical of nation's woes- )

Those that want nothing but nature well go to Surin National Park off Kao Lak , or on Phuket, Sirinart Marine Park- Oh but Nikki Breach has ruined that experience with it's horrid bass thudding house music covering the entire north end of Bang Tao ... yet ... it is allowed to stay..

What I see in these beach clearings is a lot of harassment of low wage workers.

You reason against Nikki Breach but people must like it so it should be here.. same argument you use for wanting the chairs.

You might not like the music but young people do. Young people might not like the chairs but old people do.

So yes its all or nothing nothing sounds better to me then.

But if they could just rent out chairs that they had to put on the sand and take away when the tourist leaves (fat chance) then it would be good. But as you said Thais cant be trusted to play by the rules.

[Songhua]

Anyone renting out towels yet?

[Oziex1]

Oh it's all doom and gloom over a few lousy beach chairs provided by <deleted>, Phuket will still have more tourists than it knows what to do with, perhaps people with a new outlook for a new phuket.

My question is do you want your hard earned going to: Unfriendly and at times aggressive little shits with their beach chairs and umbrellas behaving like they own the beach. Are you happy knowing that your money is falling into the hands of dodgy public officials who drive their Mercedes past piles of rubbish and deteriorating infrastructure without a care. You ok with savage greedy taxi mafia extorting money and using gang violence to get their way.

We will remember the old Phuket like we remember the American Wild West, The new sheriff is in town and yes he is quicker on the draw and has a lot of well armed deputies, so support your local sheriff he is the face of the future.

[Maroon Watcher]

did you mean - will the Shanty town be rebuilt on the beach?

Or will the beach be for everyone, with up to date comfortable
seating/laying/sunbathing chairs, for a reasonible price (Monitored)

PLUS regulated space for people to walk along the beach, where children can play...

Thailand can not live in the past But Thailand still needs to be low cost AND provide

what the customer wants (Especially the Target market of "Quality" Tourists...)

Thailand is great for back pakers (I was one)

Then there's Alcholics/Sex tourists

Thailand need's to cater for people who generally save all year for their 2 weeks of Paradise.

They dont want Shanty - anything!

[RJJ]

My kids and I sat on beach chairs 2 weeks ago in Hua Hin.

Had yummy lunch and drinks delivered right to my table all day.

No renting fees, etc.

Food and drinks at very reasonable prices too.

Perfect.

I guess if it's done as a service and not an extortion then it will be allowed to continue.

[Patong2]

Wow, I didn't realise tourists came to Phuket only for the chairs. Here's me thinking there was so much more to see and do. Oh, no chairs on Australian beaches, with thousands of tourists coming and enjoying them.

Made the mistake of going to Bondi about 1988 and frying for about 2 hours before we left, never to return.

All holidays since have been to deck chair/umbrella destinations and happy to spend the money.

If Aussie's are so happy with no chairs on their beaches how come so many

come to Thailand & Bali when, on the whole, their beaches are better.

[Pinot]

I have absolutely no empathy for "the lost tourist experience" with the cleaning up of the cesspool, Phuket (and the rest of the country) had become. The coup was the best thing that ever happened. Buddha bless the Generals.

If you can't handle the beach with just a towel, then stay home. Oh, that's right, they don't allow beach chairs and umbrellas there either. The Phuket Gazette has a survey running, should the crap be allowed back on the beach? It's running 80/20 against.

The people who want umbrellas and beach chairs back are a______s.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Pinot