webfact Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Governor slams police for Phuket beach order enforcement tacticsNattha ThepbamrungA tourist at Kamala Police Station this morning holds up the flyer that caused much confusion. Photo: Niruj KamalaPHUKET: -- Confusion over the rules governing Phuket beaches continues, with the governor today slamming local police tactics to “enforce” regulations governing sun loungers outside designated zones.Governor Nisit Jansomwong was responding to a series of viral posts by one Facebook user called “Decha Sithidej”.The posts, including several appeals in Thai to “help Phuket tourism”, are accompanied with mobile-phone quality photographs and video clips showing uniformed Thai police confronting tourists – some of them elderly – on the beach this past weekend.Defiant tourist sentiment was heightened this morning when a group of some 100 had reportedly stormed to Kamala police station to "demand clarification on the rules"Addressing rumours that tourists were being harassed and even arrested for using sun loungers on the beach, the governor clarified, "I have never ordered anyone to arrest tourists, but [my mandate was to pursue] beach business operators that occupy beach land for personal profit.”"I had a meeting with police yesterday (February 15) to clarify understanding again. I understand that it takes time for tourists to know about the new rules.”It is clear from the video clips that no tourist was arrested or forcefully removed from the beach. If anything, a communication barrier is apparent between police and the tourists.The governor went on to slam misleading communication tactics employed by police at Surin, Kamala and Patong this past weekend, referring to the dissemination of confusing and mistranslated flyers.The flyers had two different messages, in Thai and English. The Thai message was clear: “Don’t place beds on the area of the beach . No exception”However, the English message prompted a lot of itchy scalps, as it read, “No Summer dream on beach, start February 12”.The governor said he had not made any orders for such flyers to be printed or disseminated and he warned officers not to continue to disseminate any more such messages.“Today, I’ve sent all three Vice Governors to hotels to ask for cooperation to inform their guests about the rules.”The governor went on to reiterate the rules."Tourists can bring mats, cloths or cushions [and place them] outside the 10 per cent zoning area where umbrellas are allowed.“I have stressed with the officers already that we need public relations not law enforcement at this starting point, as [maintaining a good] tourism image is essential to our province."Additional reporting by Eakapop ThongtubSource: http://www.thephuketnews.com/governor-slams-police-for-phuket-beach-order-enforcement-tactics-51040.php-- Phuket News 2015-02-16 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Valentine Posted February 16, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 16, 2015 P....s up in a brewery, too many cooks, are the first things that spring to mind along with opportunism to scam the tourists. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post colinneil Posted February 16, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 16, 2015 Idiots are destroying tourism in Thailand. They have no brains. Just stupid plain stupid. 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post madmitch Posted February 16, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 16, 2015 Well, that has clarified the situation. Hasn't it? Awaiting the next episode of this soap opera with eager anticipation. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NamKangMan Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Well, that has clarified the situation. Hasn't it? Awaiting the next episode of this soap opera with eager anticipation. "Awaiting the next episode of this soap opera" - it's more like a horror movie. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubblegum Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Sorry can't write anymore too funny whaahahahhaha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santa1000 Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 “Today, I’ve sent all three Vice Governors to hotels to ask for cooperation to inform their guests about the rules.” So, what are the rules? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NamKangMan Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 “Today, I’ve sent all three Vice Governors to hotels to ask for cooperation to inform their guests about the rules.” So, what are the rules? "So, what are the rules?" - are you saying a Vice Governor didn't visit your hotel and tell you? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenBravo Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 From the way I read it, no umbrellas outside of the 10% zone..........I think. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post smedly Posted February 16, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 16, 2015 why make it so complicated you have beach area - tourists can place whatever they want wherever they want - simple Thais cannot run a business on the beach anywhere - they can operate from off the beach providing beach equipment on a needs basis to tourists if they want to rent - tourists can choose who they rent from and where on the beach they want to sit seems pretty simple to me - what's the problem 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post LivinginKata Posted February 16, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 16, 2015 Killing the goose that lays the golden egg springs to my mind. Bunch of idiots. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisY1 Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 why make it so complicated you have beach area - tourists can place whatever they want wherever they want - simple Thais cannot run a business on the beach anywhere - they can operate from off the beach providing beach equipment on a needs basis to tourists if they want to rent - tourists can choose who they rent from and where on the beach they want to sit seems pretty simple to me - what's the problem Thais trying to manage something other than a racket......they can't do it......and this is the bleeding governor.....in an attempt to pass the buck! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyinthai Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 The Thais are spreading this real fast on Facebook. I've seen 3 different videos of tourist being told to remove their own personal chairs they have bought and carried from their hotel. This is going to hurt. It's spreading on social media like wildfire. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post taipan1949 Posted February 16, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 16, 2015 It is time for intelegent tourists to abandon the Phuket bullshit and move on. Maybe to Sihanoukville, Cambodia??? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post thequietman Posted February 16, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 16, 2015 It is time for intelegent tourists to abandon the Phuket bullshit and move on. Maybe to Sihanoukville, Cambodia??? Oh, the irony ! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinLOS Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Dont you also love the way that.. While emphaticly clarifying the permitted use of sunbeds on the beach.. "Tourists can bring mats, cloths or cushions [and place them] outside the 10 per cent zoning area where umbrellas are allowed" He doesnt actually mention sunbeds.. Or what happens with an umbrellas and a bed.. Also.. We just had a piece posted on PW that cant be linked.. Quoting Kamala and Patong police officers that as of tomorrow chairs are banned.. You put your left leg in.. Your left leg out.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eezergood Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 He slams them, what about some action? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmitch Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Can anybody name another beach anywhere else in the world where you are forbidden to take your own sunbed? Serious question as I have no idea. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post simon43 Posted February 16, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 16, 2015 Clearly, this is all very confusing for tourists, especially the Google Translations into English. Since I took the initiative to produce an easily-understood advice sign for our lifeguards, I've produced a new one that the authorities can use on the beaches to explain the rule for that day and that beach. Simply use this with this pointy thing and indicate to the confused tourist what is allowed and what is not allowed at that time and .. er.. on that beach and ... er ... in that location on that beach and er ... er ... whether or not it only applies if your name is Norman .................. or Norma. I'm happy to supply laminated copies of this sign, together with a pointy stick, free of charge to the authorities 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinginKata Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Can anybody name another beach anywhere else in the world where you are forbidden to take your own sunbed? Serious question as I have no idea. Really - take a sunbed ? I have been to many beaches around the world and I just lie down on the sand, at most with a towel under me. Phuket was the first place I ever came across this sunbed & umbrella idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suradit69 Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 P....s up in a brewery, too many cooks, are the first things that spring to mind along with opportunism to scam the tourists. "along with opportunism to scam the tourists." Along with one more occasion for Thai Visa posters to label something a scam for no logical reason other than mindless Thai bashing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chainsaw Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Priceless!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Fixit Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Killing the goose that lays the golden egg springs to my mind. Bunch of idiots. As someone once told me, Thais have a built-in self-destruct button and can never resist pressing it. Talk about shooting themselves in the foot ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sviss Geez Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 P....s up in a brewery, too many cooks, are the first things that spring to mind along with opportunism to scam the tourists. What scam, didn't you read the OP? No-one is being scammed but the inability to organise a piss-up in a brewery is probably yours based on the evidence that your brain couldn't organise the words in the report and make sense of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smedly Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 is it ok to walk along the beach with an umbrella or are there police waiting to arrest you if you walk into a Zone what about a very large hat - is that allowed in the Zone what happens if there's a huge downpour and you are in a Zone Is the whole beach public land or not This is why I go to places like this - 25km from Pattaya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Couple of clips of Thai officials confronting tourists on the beach in Phuket:http://news.sanook.com/1748981 (halfway down page)http://news.sanook.com/1749189/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaywalker Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 (edited) "“Today, I’ve sent all three Vice Governors to hotels to ask for cooperation to inform their guests about the rules.”" Are Vice Governors, err... Governors of vice? Edited February 17, 2015 by jaywalker 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoBrainer Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Seems like there is some kind of Scam going on here, where the beach chair vendors are selling the tourists beach chairs from the back of a truck, or nearby shop, and telling them that now they own the chairs. They must carry their chairs accros the street themselves but can put them anywhere they want. When they are finished, the tourists can carry the cheairs back od sell them back to the vendor. A new way to try to circumvent the new rules on beach chair vendors. What kind of tourists own their own (rickety old wooden) beach chairs and will carry them ( or pay an overpriced TukTuk to transport them) to and from the beach? This is just an out and out scam that is being waved in the face of the enforcement authorities. Just completey ban the vendors. Any Thai seen with beach chairs within 20 meters of the beach should have them confiscated. Same with Jet Skis. Nothing but trouble, no matter how you look at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJBangkok Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 The solution is to make the beaches a single zone. A commerce free zone. Pepole can bring there own private umbrellas, mats chairs etc and set them up anywhere. Anyone that wants to rent mats, umbrellas, chairs etc can set up a legal business in a shop font on the esplanade founding the beach. No jet skis, no banana boats or paraglider boats - no commerce on the beach period. What's so hard about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJBangkok Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Also there is no confusion about what is allowed and what isn't allowed. The vested interests failed in all their efforts to circumvent the new laws implemented by the army so they are trying to create anarchy on the beaches by using the tourists as a tool to try to force the authorities to bend to their will. It's dusgusting, anyone with half a brain can see through it but it's getting played out anyway. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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