Phuket beach vendors allowed back, with restrictions

[Lite Beer]

Phuket beach vendors allowed back, with restrictions

Nattapat Tuarob

Photo: Michał Sacharewicz/Flickr

Massage, umbrella and drink vendors are allowed once again on Phuket's beaches but with several restrictions, it was announced Friday (December 19).

During a meeting at Provincial Hall yesterday, Governor Nisit Jansomwong announced the drafting of an interim plan that brings back Phuket beach vendors for the next three months.

The plan, however, still prohibits beach chair vendors from operating their businesses.

“We all need to find the solution. Each and every body needs to follow the law, there must not be land seizure. The beaches must belong to the public where citizens can access.”

Under the plan, all Phuket beaches will have special designated areas (zones) that will cover about 10 per cent of the sand and vendors must display all fees that they will charge. Vendors who are registered with the local administrative organisation will be permitted to operate.

All vendors will be allowed to operate from 9:30am to 4:30pm.

“If there are people who don't adhere to this principle, then they can not operate their business. You have to follow the rule,” he said.

One umbrella operator, one massage service, and one food/drink vendor will be allowed per special designated zone for up to three days straight. After that, each vendor must switch with another similar business.

Food vendors are also not allowed to cook on the beach while it will be up to local administrative organisations will be responsible for setting up the special zones.

For the next two weeks, Phuket Vice Governors will be speaking with local leaders and vendors to hammer out the minutiae of the plan, Gov Nisit added.

“We will provide the area where it doesn't irritate and encroach the tourists and 'local poor Phuket people' can earn a living, and not have an 'influential figure' take all the business,” Gov Nisit said.

The plan is the result of talks between military officials, local government bodies and the beach vendors who were kicked off of the Phuket sands earlier this year.

“If those extremists who want to have everything back just like before, I can not accept that at all. Because what we are doing now is to, at least, help [beach vendors] to make money within a limited area,” Gov Nisit said.

“The beaches must be clean and tidy and get back to the list of world class beaches.”.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-beach-vendors-allowed-back-with-restrictions-50223.php

-- Phuket News 2014-12-20

[bdenner]

Give it a month and all will be forgotten then business as usual. Why did they bother in the first place?

[schlog]

The dice is cast. A new hand washes again the other.

[FireMedic]

And the jet skis? Do they have to change to something else every 3 days?

[stevenl]

After some initial problems, things are working well at the moment.

Just keep them all off.

[LivinginKata]

Give it a month and all will be forgotten then business as usual. Why did they bother in the first place?

Exactly - thin edge of the wedge comes to mind. Question is - how long before back to normal. A month sounds about right.

[LivinginKata]

Give it a month and all will be forgotten then business as usual. Why did they bother in the first place?

Exactly - thin edge of the wedge comes to mind. Question is - how long before back to normal. A month sounds about right.

[terryp]

is anyone really suprised ....this is thailand and always will be the land of cash can do anything and of course the legendary U-Turns ..it trully makes me sick; as its all talk as usual with the same same but different bollax

[Valentine]

A couple of classic lines in the story. One about switching every 3 days & the other about poor people & infuential figures in the same line. An influential figure will control the switching as well as take money from the "poor people". Does anyone really believe only 10% of the beach without strict & continuous control. The reason it became the debale it is today is the old adage about give them an inch .......

[Sviss Geez]

The dice is cast. A new hand washes again the other.

No, gambling is not allowed so no casting of dice.

[UncleE]

Again ???? Well it's simple, they just have to establish government operated kiosks which handle rental of beach equipment and staff paid minimum wage as in the West. Then they use to proceeds to do these things:

* Buy a Beach cleaning rake from HBarber in USA for only 50 KUSD and rake the beach to a depth of 20 cm each night leaving a golf course sand trap appearance to the surface each night

* Make kiosks which are environmentally friendly and resemble those found in national beach parks throughout the world:

Let's be sensible, nobody leaves jobs like this to people see Beach Rakes can do and why:

How bout an international contest of beach art created by beach cleaning machines to determine which system is best:

Nuff said

[steelepulse]

A couple of classic lines in the story. One about switching every 3 days & the other about poor people & infuential figures in the same line. An influential figure will control the switching as well as take money from the "poor people". Does anyone really believe only 10% of the beach without strict & continuous control. The reason it became the debale it is today is the old adage about give them an inch .......

No Valentine, I don't believe the 10% rule and it won't be 10% either. Well it might start at 10%, but that percentage will go up fast, very fast unless someone clearly demarcates the area and this is checked on a daily basis with a fine of 50K baht per instance of encroachment to be paid on the spot.

Did I just see a jellyfish go by.....................................................

[HUAHIN62]

Didn't last long, just another failed move by the dear leader.

[gyrosman]

The Thai government backpedals on everthing. Stay in the dark ages. I been travelling here for 35 years and they have become even more backwards then every.

[Pinot]

The "No business on the King's Beach" didn't last long. As soon as the local politicians could make the rules, I knew it was over. It started with the Marine 5 office giving the beaches to the jet skis. The gravy train is back on track, from the governor on down.

That's a good question, we did they even bother?

A trial, yeah right. Like anyone ever follows the rules here.

Disgusting.

[ajonfree]

The 50 or so beach vendors of every description who have been operating on Kamala beach since the beginning of December must have got a sneak peek at this then though obviously they didn't manage to get hold of the rules. It's a free for all here, exactly the same as it was this time last year except no sunbeds; well not all that many anyway.

[NeilSA1]

And the jet skis? Do they have to change to something else every 3 days?

Were jet skis mentioned?

"One umbrella operator, one massage service, and one food/drink vendor will be allowed per special designated zone "

[Lupatria]

You have to follow the rule,” he said.

It won't take two weeks for him to realize the only rule is: there is no rule!

[eezergood]

I can see zero problems with this system

[lil fluffy clouds]

Attention Deficit Disorder...

[crazygreg44]

"switch the business after three days with a similar vendor" ????

another vendor, or the same family, in disguise ???

they are known for watering down all rules until it fits their purpose

[Lokie]

Same ol same, no surpise and back to normal very soon...

[wellred]

Told you all they would be back and glad to see common sense finally prevailed. It's extremely dangerous from a health perspective for one to be sitting out in that heat and it's not practical to expect tourists to buy umbrellas and lug them around.

For the rest of you that prefer it au natural there are plenty of other places in Thailand where you can just sit on the sand without anything so if your that upset then maybe try going elsewhere.

[horsewell]

I always thought that the ban was just to get the incumbents off the beach and then they where going to "try" to create a new "fair" system. The problem is that most people that use the beach for their own businesses seem to feel entitled to "their" area. I think there is a backstory but it's not my business. I hope that they can create a good system that allows all those that want to work on the beach can and they share the beach so that everyone can enjoy it.

[Jimi007]

Unbelievable! So much for no commerce on the "King's Land."

[wellred]

Next step is to get the deckchairs back.

[makkam]

is anyone really suprised ....this is thailand and always will be the land of cash can do anything and of course the legendary U-Turns ..it trully makes me sick; as its all talk as usual with the same same but different bollax

Well bog off back to the garden of eden you came from...you wont be missed

[NamKangMan]

"Governor Nisit Jansomwong announced the drafting of an interim plan that brings back Phuket beach vendors for the next three months." - where does the Governor get the authority to "officially" allow commercial operations to take place on land that is owned by The King of Thailand?

[jamie obda]

strolling along Patong beach 10AM this morning lots of thai nationals unloading chairs - not loungers, but suppose won't be far off. Massage lady every 20 meters. Could not determine where the "zones" are.

[JetsetBkk]

Vendors who are registered with the local administrative organisation...

Ker-ching!