Phuket police seize beach furniture in Patong

[Lite Beer]

Phuket police seize beach furniture in Patong
Nattapat Tuarob

A police officer stacks confiscated beach furniture

PHUKET: Police swooped on Patong Beach last night (January 20) and seized 178 sunbeds, 37 chairs, and 53 umbrellas piled along the edge of the beach. They announced that owners must come and retrieve them from the police station – if they dare.

Most of the seized beach furniture appears to belong to local business people trying to skate around the complex new rules.

Police announced that individuals coming to the police station to collect their own personal sunbeds could do so and indeed, 15 tourists did so today, each claiming two sunbeds.

They were accompanied by kind-hearted citizens who denied being beach sunbed operators.

Police have already explained that they suspect the remaining furniture belongs to beach operators and will never be reclaimed. After all, any Thai who does come to claim multiple chairs will be deemed an illegal beach operator, will be fined B1,000 and will not get the sunbeds back.

This has already happened to five people last night who were found to own piles of chairs on the beach – each was fined B1,000 and each knows he or she will get no chairs returned.

Pol Lt Col Akanit Danpitaksat, Kathu Police crime suppression chief, explained, “Under the new beach management rules, sunbed businesses are not allowed on public land.

“I went to Patong beach yesterday evening and saw many sunbeds on the beach. We found many places where sunbeds had been piled up on the beach – piles of 20 or 30 sunbeds with covers over them. So our officers seized them and brought them back to the Police Station.

“Some belonged to tourists. That is fine. But what we are doing is preventing business people from encroaching again on public beaches – some of them are still trying to carry on business like before.

“If Thai people appear to reclaim the sunbeds we will charge them [with making a profit from public space]. But this morning, some tourists came and told me that they left their sunbeds with business operators, so we checked whether the sunbeds belonged to them or not.

“The problem is that some are elderly couples and could not carry the sunbeds to and fro between hotel and beach. Some business operators seized this opportunity to take care of the sunbeds – but they bought their own and added them to the pile so that they could rent them out.

“When we seized the sunbeds, [the operators] claimed that all the sunbeds belonged to the tourists.

“Some business operators charged the tourists B20 per sunbed [to leave them in a pile]. That is not allowed.

“We won’t charge the tourists if they come to get sunbeds back. If anyone tells them that they are not allowed to do so, they should tell the police.

“I want to stress that if the sunbeds operators occupy the beach, that is not allowed. In the morning, I sometimes see pickup trucks arriving, carrying sunbeds. That’s not right.

“I want to clarify once again: I am not banning tourists, only illegal beach occupation. Some business operators put out disinformation that the tourists came to protest against the police but we didn’t seize the sunbeds from the tourists; we took them from the piles left on the beach, which we confiscated, and we returned them.

“If tourists leave them at the beach, I will give them back without any charge. As for the Thai beach chair business operators, I don’t think they will dare try to reclaim their sunbeds.

“We are not putting pressure on the tourists but we don’t want to allow a situation where everything is run by just a few people.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-police-seize-beach-furniture-in-patong-50658.php

-- Phuket News 2015-01-21

[Cuchulainn]

Finally getting off their fat arrses and doing what they're paid to do!!

[Nuddy]

Yep its a bit amazing I reckon!

However it is TiT so is there an ulterior motive here?

Sorry I had to ask.

[culicine]

Sounds like a nice little earner for tourists to reclaim "their chairs" from the beach, at 1000 baht a pop lol

[NeilSA1]

Sounds like a nice little earner for tourists to reclaim "their chairs" from the beach, at 1000 baht a pop lol

? Perhaps I read your remark incorrectly.

It seems that tourists will not be charged, together with the assurance that no locals can scam the tourists by informing the tourists that they can't claim their sunbeds back.

“We won’t charge the tourists if they come to get sunbeds back. If anyone tells them that they are not allowed to do so, they should tell the police."

[Valentine]

Tongue in cheek comment "Police announced that individuals coming to the police station to collect their own personal sunbeds could do so and indeed, 15 tourists did so today, each claiming two sunbeds.

They were accompanied by kind-hearted citizens who denied being beach sunbed operators."

[junk1e]

Sunbeds and restaurants are reappearing along many beaches. Parts of Bang Tao bay are almost walk to wall and being left overnight and restaurants being reconstructed. Can't blame the locals for making a living but appears to be a matter of luck in regards to being allowed to stay or not.

[jacko45k]

I like this.

Enforcing the law yet treating the tourists in a decent way.

[simon43]

When we seized the sunbeds, [the operators] claimed that all the sunbeds belonged to the tourists.

Ah yes, quite normal for an elderly tourist to have 20 sunbeds

[marko kok prong]

Sounds like a nice little earner for tourists to reclaim "their chairs" from the beach, at 1000 baht a pop lol

Nowhere did the article state this,it said a fine of 1000 b, for Thai beach operators.

[steelepulse]

Good to see the police enforcing the rules set out by the NCPO. Hopefully they will do this at all the beaches. Tourists are doing just fine by buying their own brollies and either buying a beach mat, or enjoying laying on towels. I'm not buying the "We need to supply tourists as they need umbrellas and chairs" line as around the world most people can fend for themselves, and that goes here also.

Edited January 22, 2015 by steelepulse

[Sviss Geez]

Sounds like a nice little earner for tourists to reclaim "their chairs" from the beach, at 1000 baht a pop lol

Seems like you have lost the ability to read...

"We won’t charge the tourists if they come to get sunbeds back. If anyone tells them that they are not allowed to do so, they should tell the police."

Edited January 22, 2015 by Sviss Geez

[wowfactor10]

Yes I think the Thai beaches will look the nicest and in the most natural and ordenly state without chairs ,beds and people spoiling it.

So declare it illegal from now on for any humans to visit any beach in Thailand ...

This then also will solve the jet ski scams

[Jimbo2014]

Probably find them all in the back yard of the new police commissioner in a few years

[siam2007]

ah those beach chairs are now at the Police station ?

well, great that is, isn't it ?

I just don't understand why should someone come and pick them up there - those beach chairs are now at the premises of their legitimate owners after all

[robertthebruce]

Hard to believe its 2015, and this carry on has been going on for years ????

bored, tired, the list could go on....

Listen to the Tourists, and see what they want..., and give them what they want... and they will come flocking back...

It aint Rocket Science..

[oldsailor35]

Amazing and congratulations to the police. These stupid people just do not learn or take any notice of the law. Well now perhaps they won't be so keen to think that they can do what they like. Now the police should round up a few Jet Skis and move in those new restaurants, take the bloody lot !

[jollyhangmon]

Sounds like a nice little earner for tourists to reclaim "their chairs" from the beach, at 1000 baht a pop lol

Holy s. mate, you definitely ask too much as you can see, don't overstrain 'em, lool ... got to be s-l-o-w and label cynism or sarkasm clearly as such - else you get ripped to pieces as above ... then again, who gives a flying t.

Edited January 22, 2015 by jollyhangmon

[JetsetBkk]

Jesus wept. You couldn't make this stuff up.

[amja]

Police annual fleamarket coming up?

Amja

[JetsetBkk]

Police annual fleamarket coming up?

Amja

Hope so - I'll take 4.

[NamKangMan]

Hard to believe its 2015, and this carry on has been going on for years ????

bored, tired, the list could go on....

Listen to the Tourists, and see what they want..., and give them what they want... and they will come flocking back...

It aint Rocket Science..

"and they will come flocking back" - for that to happen, they must first admit that tourists have left.

[memkuk]

Sounds like a nice little earner for tourists to reclaim "their chairs" from the beach, at 1000 baht a pop lol

Holy s. mate, you definitely ask too much as you can see, don't overstrain 'em, lool ... got to be s-l-o-w and label cynism or sarkasm clearly as such - else you get ripped to pieces as above ... then again, who gives a flying t.

Indeed amazing to see how many people didn't manage to read Culicine's post correctly.

[Pomthai]

It won't be long before a couple dozen cube's of sand is delivered to Patong police station and they set up their own beach chair operation.

[hanuman2543]

Sounds like a nice little earner for tourists to reclaim "their chairs" from the beach, at 1000 baht a pop lol

Seems like you have lost the ability to read...

"We won’t charge the tourists if they come to get sunbeds back. If anyone tells them that they are not allowed to do so, they should tell the police."

Seems like you have lost the ability to read and understand. Try again and pay special attention to "their chairs" or don't you get it? Edited January 23, 2015 by hanuman2543

[Dumbastheycome]

So the bottom line is that tourists can take something to the "public" beach to fry themselves so long as they take it away. Local entrepreneurs using the same "public" beach and claiming some auto rights are deemed illegal. What problem? if you don't want to lug a plastic barbeque of your own then take a beach towel ! Or is it somehow insulting tourists to be denied the op to flick a few coins to some subserviant local ?

[FritsSikkink]

They are going to seize your food and cigarettes too.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/No-Beach-Butts-Phuket-bans-smoking-eating/48362

For now you are allowed to drink.

[LivinLOS]

They are going to seize your food and cigarettes too.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/No-Beach-Butts-Phuket-bans-smoking-eating/48362

For now you are allowed to drink.

So you can only drink your cold coconut.. No eating it too..

No ice creams for you farang..

This is becoming mind blowing really..