We need jobs, 200 beach operators tell Phuket governor

Saran Mitrarat

Surrounded by beach operators and reporters, Gov Maitri appeals for patience.

PHUKET: Over 200 former beach operators in Phuket, some in tears, some angry, braced Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut near Provincial Hall in Phuket Town this morning, pleading for his help in getting jobs after three months of unemployment.

With them they brought a list of all the beach umbrella, massage and bucket sales people from every beach in Phuket – a list of more than 1,000 businesses.

“We’ve had no jobs for more than three months. We want to know what should we do to make a living,” the President of the Karon Beach Umbrella Group, Sunan Boonwat, told the Phuket News.

“We also do not understand why it is only in Phuket that officials have cleared the beaches. I still see Pattaya beach umbrella people operating as normal,” he added.

“In Karon, we have been on the beach for more than 30 years – before any hotels were built there. We began procedures to register an official umbrella club in 1980, and received official approval in 1986,” he said.

“But when it became popular, they ordered us to move and stop doing what we had always done for a living,” he complained.

“I don’t know how can I find another job to replace this one.” Gov Maitri affirmed that he would try to find solutions to their plight before the coming high season.

“Everything is changing fast during the current reorganisation,” he said. “This may be uncomfortable for some people but they should prepare themselves to accept it.

“It is not a first time I have received this kind of complaint from beach operators. They hand me letters like this every time I inspect beaches,” he added.

“We will try our best to help them by providing similar jobs but in hotels, or by looking for another job for them, or by setting up a [legal] area for them,” he explained.

Asked why only Phuket had had its beaches wiped clean of illegal businesses, he replied, “We are the role model for all beaches in Thailand. Different place have different management. The start that has been made in Phuket may be followed in other provinces.”

Asked about the possibility of managing things in a way that would allow beach operators back onto the beach, he said, “Logically, we can’t do that.”

With the whole country under martial law and gatherings of more than five people in public places banned, The Phuket News asked Col Somchai Ponatong of the Army’s 41st Military Circle how this gathering of 200 people could have taken place,

He replied, “We will not arrest people [who gather] unless they make trouble or annoy other people.

“They just gathering to hand over a letter to the governor; they didn’t bother anyone at this stage. However, everything that was done today was recorded on video. If they had made any trouble, we would have had the evidence to arrest them,” he explained.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/we-need-jobs-200-beach-operators-tell-phuket-governor-48651.php

-- Phuket News 2014-09-09

So they were working illegally and got shut down........

Maybe next time round choose something that is not illegal.

Tell them to learn a new language and become tour guides.

>>“We’ve had no jobs for more than three months. We want to know what should we do to make a living,”

Might I suggest visiting every resort and applying for a job. Even though it's low season, if you want work and actually do work, you'll get it. Problem is with this group, their "work" wasn't really work unless you call sweeping a bit of sand off of a lounger then returning to their shady seat under an umbrella "work".

Pleeeeeeeeease allow us to continue to extort tourists

Can you speak at least very basic English, Chinese, or Russian? (Just one will do)

How many times have you been arrested and for what reason?

How much do you think you should make per week?

Can you pass random drug and alcohol checks?

If you can't answer these questions appropriately, then you can't work in tourism related industry. Try again next high season.

Maybe they should take a walk down to their nearest labour office and look on the jobs board..............oh yeah, what was I thinking? They don't want to really work but just scam and rip of the farang tourists that go to the beaches and make easy money!! Duh!

The only salient point is: Is this being applied nationally? If not..trouble!

I can hear it now, "The Burmese are taking Thai jobs."

Maybe if they stopped trying to shut out foreign businesses there might be a few decent posts available?

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

The only salient point is: Is this being applied nationally? If not..trouble!

I would propose that since this was an effort to clear those doing business illegally on government protected land; so then yes it will and is being applied at a national level. As for the vendors... I don't really care. Let the politicians and police that allowed it happen in the first place take the heat.

Can't they be employed to clean the beaches ?? Ok it's maybe not an ideal job, but it's Money...

And that's what draws tourists,to Phuket, the Beaches ????

They could try kicking sand on him.

“We’ve had no jobs for more than three months.”

Who’s stopping you from looking for one?

“We want to know what should we do to make a living”

I’m not your daddy.

“I don’t know how can I find another job to replace this one.”

I’ll bet not.

Now, perhaps you should join the non-criminal, civil world.

“…they ordered us to move and stop doing what we had always done for a living,”

Well, what you “had always done for a living” was, engage in criminal activity.

“We will try our best to help them by providing similar jobs but in hotels, or by looking for another job for them”

There ya go! You have a daddy!

And they don’t have to but, they are willing to help stear you away from your life of crime.

“Asked why (only) Phuket had had its beaches wiped clean of illegal businesses”

Mr. President, you just don’t get it…

“With the whole country under martial law and gatherings of more than five people in public places banned,

The Phuket News asked Col Somchai Ponatong of the Army’s 41st Military Circle how this gathering of 200 people could have taken place,

He replied, “We will not arrest people [who gather] unless they make trouble or annoy other people.”

Hmmm...

"This may be uncomfortable for some people but they should prepare themselves to accept it."

Sound advise.

Some may praise the governor for standing firm, but the reality is he has absolutely nothing to do with it. It is the military these people have a beef with, not the governor.

Maybe if they had stuck to the original agreements, they would have had a case.

Two rows of chairs only, spaced a few metres apart, instead of multiple rows going down to the high tide line.

Bringing back the heavy, wooden loungers that were banned after the tsunami because they were responsible for so many deaths. Cheaper than the approved, light-weight plastic ones.

Intimidating beach goers that wanted to sit on the sand instead of renting one of their loungers.

Greed and bad manners did them in. Now they are squealing to the government with that innate sense of entitlement that Thais have when their scam has been uncovered and stopped.

Boo Hoo. Cry me a river.

These people do not make a honest living, society shouldn't pity on them. Bunch of beach mafia consider public beach belong to them,

Let them taste their own medicine! .

This serves to highlight the nonsensical 'almost zero unemployment' claim.

Some could/should be given work restoring the environment. There is a lot of dead coral. Working towards creating a pristine environment for the coral to thrive again would be a good thing for all concerned both short and long term...

now 70% of staff in Phuket comes from neighbour countries ! because restaurants, shops, .. can hardly find thai people for the job,

They shouldn't be given the time of day. It was the same with the tuktuks and taxis - oh, we'll hold a conference and listen t your ideas. <removed> what these people think. The system needs to grow a pair and stop pandering to these criminals. You have civic rules. Tell, don't ask.

Some could/should be given work restoring the environment. There is a lot of dead coral. Working towards creating a pristine environment for the coral to thrive again would be a good thing for all concerned both short and long term...

That is a very good idea, sadly I would imagine that they would decline the offer. As someone earlier said, these people don't want to work for their money. Thats why they are squealing so loudly.

"Umbrella club" that almost sounds made up.

"Why not in Pattaya" they do have a point.

Did you think of opening a food and beverage stand or cold fresh fruit coconut juice sells just have to climb tree to get. Or get fresh fish and lobster and cook on beach fresh for tourist.

suffer these are the same a******* harassing foreigners and making their lives hell. What can you do for work, get an education first.

"Umbrella club" that almost sounds made up.

"Why not in Pattaya" they do have a point.

I fear the Umbrella club might clash with the raincoat gang

Some could/should be given work restoring the environment. There is a lot of dead coral. Working towards creating a pristine environment for the coral to thrive again would be a good thing for all concerned both short and long term...

Great idea. But it would require them to actually work.

there is more then enough job in thailand if they really want to work , but are they ready to work ??? i don't think so . this maffia just want to stole the farang , they don't respect the rules , everything is dirty , how many do you the tourista after eating on the beach ? what about the prices ? do they pay the right taxes ? last time i go on the beach , they asked me 100 baths for 2 chairs ( normal chairs ) and one small table ( in wood ) cause i'm farang , for the thai-people 40 baths . they like to shit the farangs , it's normal for them , all this shit to be finish , it's not good for thailand . if they continue , they ll loose a lot of tourists , there is a lot of others places in Asie with nice beaches and more respect for the tourists with cheapest prices .

thailand the land of smile , right , but oly when they can shit you .

.......lie......cheat.....steal......kill...commit any crime.....because you need food...a job......whatever....is that the Buddhist way......???

....I am really confused.....