Cigarettes out but snacks allowed on Phuket beaches if waste-free

[luckynero]

Maybe the authorities have a good plan, but, they could have brought it differently.. All u hear is negative stuff, like, they ban beach chair rentals.. Then they also forbid tourists to bring their own chairs and parasol.. Now the crack down on the food.. Great publicity to get Phuket tourist free......

Now I do applaud the effort to make the beaches clean.. I really noticed that everywhere in thailand there is a great lack of garbage bins.. There are street vendors every few meters.. And no garbage bin in sight.. I often eat and give the waste back to the vendor I bought the food from.. They do take it back, look around their stall, and drop it somewhere, because most of them also don't have a garbage bag..... And yes, do fine the savages that don't respect their surrounding!! Big time, or even better, let them clear up the beach for half an hour or so;) that would help.. But truly. Start putting garbage bins. And do something about the rats.. Here in Pattaya u see so many rats.. U could solve the protein problem in Africa

But, there was so much negative publicity on all these beach problems.. That plenty of tourist indeed will avoid coming back.. So my friends confirmed

[iReason]

"Section 20 of the Public Health Act (2535BE), which stipulates that the environment of public spaces must be kept clean, prohibiting the disposal of waste..."

"...most of the food waste on Phuket beaches comes from vendors, who are forbidden by Section 34 of the Public Health Act to sell food on all public land without a permit."

"Despite this law, and the government’s mandate to enforce it, some business operators have continued to defy the rules."

Kick out the offenders and fine these law breakers.

Place gargage cans near the beaches.

Order Municipal staff to maintain the clean up.

Like the real world.

Problems solved.

So you expect the local police officer or municipal staff to fine and/or kick out his brother who is selling drinks at the beach? Never going to happen. And with the registered population being really small in the beach towns, they are all related.

Thanks for the News Flash.

Then tell the Gov. to bitching.

Next thing you know, he and the illegal vendors will be blaming the tourists.

*Note, I said like the real world.

[Benmart]

"Section 20 of the Public Health Act (2535BE), which stipulates that the environment of public spaces must be kept clean, prohibiting the disposal of waste..."

"...most of the food waste on Phuket beaches comes from vendors, who are forbidden by Section 34 of the Public Health Act to sell food on all public land without a permit."

"Despite this law, and the government’s mandate to enforce it, some business operators have continued to defy the rules."

Kick out the offenders and fine these law breakers.

Place gargage cans near the beaches.

Order Municipal staff to maintain the clean up.

Like the real world.

Problems solved.

So you expect the local police officer or municipal staff to fine and/or kick out his brother who is selling drinks at the beach? Never going to happen. And with the registered population being really small in the beach towns, they are all related.

I'm not in a position to know all of the local police officers/municipal staff. nor the likelihood of them enforcing any law. To ask, when I don't know the facts, is meaningless.

Saying "never" to something I don't control, is guesswork at best. I've learned this from past personal experience when I thought I knew more than others.

I don't have any factual information about the kinship in beach towns. To make such a statement to the contrary would be another great guess.

I'm not in control, am not perfect and certainly don't know anymore than what a third party wrote in a news article.

Edited February 20, 2015 by Benmart

[kinmaew]

Some Ahole is always smoking on the beach having a great time with absolutely no consideration for the people close by that are forced to breathe his/her cig smoke. And then after that, most likely they will just butt out in the sand contributing even more to the global garbage pile that builds up and ruins natural environments. Notice to smokers, have some consideration for others who don't smoke and I hope they totally ban cigs on beaches and one day everywhere.

[GoNavy]

I lived in Acapulco where restaurants brought out plates of their fare as requested, cocktails included. The beaches were clean because the staff cleaned it up as the tourist left. Others here have written common sense answers to this mixed up affair. It appears there are those who want a natural beach and others who want to enjoy the beach in a comfortable chair and service. Isn't that what vacation and enjoying the beach is about?

I now live in Jomtien along Dongtan Beach and have never thought that beaches were untidy. The vendor cleaned up and raked the sand frequently. Who in the 'hell' complained? If the government think the beaches are untidy it seems to me it is easy to place blame. The wages that are paid it seems to me it is far cheaper to pay someone than to lose the money of the tourist. It is we who bring in the money and the reason restaurants, bars, stores and assorted sight seeing spots are here. It will be a domino effect if they leave. Believe me, Acapulco had the drug cartel move in and the tourists left and the place went dry. No money, no jobs, just crime is left.

I suggest those in power wake up and smell the roses. They are killing the golden goose for their citizens. You don't miss the water till the well runs dry. Perhaps they think folks will 'always' come. Guess we will wait and see. Then who will be crying?

[bkkjames]

Just ban people from beaches~ problem solved.

[Shadychris]

Want clean beaches? It's really quite simple...just get a few of these and clean the beaches.

2790650_orig.jpg

and I bet your mummy still tidies your bedroom and cleans up after you too....

People should take responsibility for themselves - not expect others to invest the time and expense of tidying up their crap for them

[kinmaew]

With 700 tonnes of garbage per day you would think they would invest in recycling and sustainability like civilized countries do. I remember a couple of poms were trying to start this on Phuket and it was like speaking Greek (Sorry Costas) to them. Oh well keep foreigners out and keep polluting and eventually disappear in a puff of grey smoke. Too hard basket it seems.

[shaurene]

How about no sneezing and ban of sunglasses for better identification?

And ban hairy faces.

[Shadychris]

Some Ahole is always smoking on the beach having a great time with absolutely no consideration for the people close by that are forced to breathe his/her cig smoke. And then after that, most likely they will just butt out in the sand contributing even more to the global garbage pile that builds up and ruins natural environments. Notice to smokers, have some consideration for others who don't smoke and I hope they totally ban cigs on beaches and one day everywhere.

I agree with you - I am a smoker myself but can well understand that those sat nearby may well not want the pleasure of my second hand smoke wafting over them. I've also suffered the painful experience of having walked barefoot on a still red hot butt-end thoughtlessly flipped away by some ignoramus.

[Shadychris]

How about no sneezing and ban of sunglasses for better identification?

And ban hairy faces.

especially ginger hairy faces! why would you want to grow more of it anyway??

[LivinLOS]

Honestly, how difficult can a solution be. It is like watching elephants drowning in a teaspoon of water. Can the governor even find his way out of bed in the morning without confusing himself, or is it deliberate, they are just trying to make sure nobody has any idea what they can and can't do on Patong Beach. How lugubrious and frankly hilarious.

Welcome to Patong Beach! Please enjoy being totally confused while you enjoy the sunset and wonder, "Could it be that my food is actually waste scraps or not? When is it exactly when food becomes waste? Can I sit down or is my non-chair a chair? How about my ass? I sit on it, so is it a chair? Maybe! I am prohibited from disposing of waste at the beach? So, I have to just throw my trash on the ground? A crisp bag is not garbage but disposable bags are? What if I eat my som tom out of a platic to go bag, is that ok? If the som tam is put in the container before I eat it, isn't it pre-packed? When is something that is packed pre-packed? Aren't all items that are packed pre-packed?"

I pointed out an earlier quote, where he was apparently trying to tell people that sunbeds were ok and he managed to clarify that by saying "so mats, cushions, towels etc are ok" and didnt include sunbeds.. Its like they are actually trying to make it confused and unsure or open to miss understanding for the tourists, police low level, police management, etc..

[LivinLOS]

Essentially they are complaining about littler.. So rather than tackle litter, they ban food.. Thats the mindset, not solve a problem just impose bans.

Introducing bins, or beach cleaners, or even signs against littering.. None of that is on the table.. Blanket banning stuff is the easy way.

Also I dont think its farangs that tend to stand up and just walk away from piles of Styrofoam containers with near finished somtams sticky rice and BBQ so often.. I bet it does happen, but the worst offenders ??

[Mr Somtam]

Garbage bins and beach cleaners are ideas that come from using common sense. Therefore will never happen here...

[oldies1]

AMAZING Thailand, once again in every aspect. They wine over the drop in tourism (now the number of Russian tourists has decreaded) and then do just about anything to chase other falang away ! Everything is more expensive, closing of Pattaya and Jomtien beaches on Wednesday, etc and now this silly rule. Agreed that people should be fined for littering. So why not put a small waste basket (probably costs the beach vendor about 5 a 10 baht) next to the chair people rent ? Tourists should take responsability as well. But what goes for tourists should be applied to Thais too who come down from the north to the beach every weekend.

**What is this about "cigarettes out?" People are not allowed to smoke on the beach no more ?

What's next ? A national ban on belching and farting ?

Edited February 20, 2015 by oldies1

[marcher]

So Gen Nitwit it at it again. What will be new tomorrow? No drinks obviously as people will leave empty cans and plastic water bottles on the beach. I seriously can see no end to this stupidity

[Sharp]

The ironic think about all this BS was to stop illegal businesses on the beach so how the hell does renting out mats and umbrellas not come under this practice but renting Sundeds does.

Also the mats are stacked at the end of the night in exactly the same place as the beds were.

Crazy...

[NamKangMan]

Lets just give Phuket back to the turtles and the birds and give Pattaya back to the handful of fisherman.

Both places are great examples of being 100% dependent on tourism/expats, from the big hotels to the mum and pap shops/restaurants more inside the cities/area's.

If farangs/tourists are to leave, both will be ghost towns/area's and all Thais can go back to the rice fields back home.

I don't know about Phuket, but Pattaya has nothing else economically, like factories or anything else to have people work and keep Pattaya alive after we have all gone.

Every single baht spent in Pattaya (and my guess is also Phuket) by Thais comes one way or another from tourist and expats, even if the Thai never encounters a farang/tourist

"but Pattaya has nothing else economically, like factories or anything else to have people work" - Pattaya is the flesh "factory" on the planet.

It has been an assembly line for young Thai women from Issan to work on, for decades.

In a Western country they would be demanding a handout from the government to sustain the industry providing jobs.

True. Here, all they demand is the rigth to scam tourists, with the protection of the police and the Governmnet. Not much difference, really.

Edited February 20, 2015 by NamKangMan

[Keesters]

AMAZING

What's next ? A national ban on belching and farting ?

There goes your Chinese tourists. Soon they'll be no one coming here.

[Vogele123]

"Section 20 of the Public Health Act (2535BE), which stipulates that the environment of public spaces must be kept clean, prohibiting the disposal of waste..."

"...most of the food waste on Phuket beaches comes from vendors, who are forbidden by Section 34 of the Public Health Act to sell food on all public land without a permit."

"Despite this law, and the government’s mandate to enforce it, some business operators have continued to defy the rules."

Kick out the offenders and fine these law breakers.

Place gargage cans near the beaches.

Order Municipal staff to maintain the clean up.

Like the real world.

Problems solved.

Nothing these "officials" do is ever normal - They would rather force everyone to watch a 4 hour video about how plastic is made and the chemical derivatives of polystyrene than simply tell people to cut down or put it in a bin. They seem to think that by going into engineering and chemical analysis (which none of them seem to comprehend anyway) that they are going to teach people to behave responsibly, they are pompous self promoting idiots! They need to simplify things that the average person understands and then send out a clear message, instead these fools tie themselves in knots of utter bullshit!

[KIWIBATCH]

Meanwhile....as the KFC wrapper....floats gently off down the beach having been picked up by a slight zephyr of a wind.....the raw untreated Phuket sewerage and open drains pour there muck into the open sea.....the sea the Thais want registered as a world heritage site....or marine reserve...I cannot remember...

This snack food only farce...and no smoking bs.....(let alone the umbrella/chairs fiasco)....has just made Thailand the worlds number 1 Hub in a new chapter of "Ripleys believe it or not"

Number 1 Hub for Adultery...now number 1 for this Phuket fiasco

Congratulations Thailand...2 number 1's in one week

[Halion]

Just confirms that these officials do really have shit for brains. It can only get worse. As subtle as a train crash. If they had a modicum of controls in the first place it would not have degenerated into this fiasco.

Caused by ignorance and greed.

[ggt]

There are a number of edible snacks walking around on Phuket beaches...I doubt that they are waste-free...

[ICECOOL]

Tourists come to Thailand and get a taxi from the airport. Its not long before they see rubbish strewn everywhere along the road and across vacant blocks. Its easy to see why tourists don't care about Thailand when it is clear Thais do not. Chief garbage manager should sort out the rest of the town and maybe then he has an argument to crack down on litter etc at the beach

[dukebowling]

Take a lesson from every other beach in the world…a set of trash cans every 50 yards.

Duh……….!

[Thian]

Why not put bins on the beach and see what happens? Maybe the whole problem is over and they can focus on the taxi-mafia from Phuket....and the jetski scams.

But honestly, why would i go to phuket again? To see big budha on the mountain? Or to put my life in danger on one of those crappy boats to an island?

Phuket is far too expensive anyway.

[Thunder26]

Well here's a thought Gov dip shit Maybe you should put proper bins every 20m or so around Patong and along the beach so that people can dispose of their waste.

Yeah, I'm thinking in the same way. Just put the bloody signs with "No Littering!" and under "Fine 2000 Baht". After that provide proper disposal bins every 50m at least. Then the problem should be solved.

[neverfeartheevent]

Are the TAT still confident of 28 million tourists this year...

[cookee68]

"Section 20 of the Public Health Act (2535BE), which stipulates that the environment of public spaces must be kept clean, prohibiting the disposal of waste..."

"...most of the food waste on Phuket beaches comes from vendors, who are forbidden by Section 34 of the Public Health Act to sell food on all public land without a permit."

"Despite this law, and the government’s mandate to enforce it, some business operators have continued to defy the rules."

Kick out the offenders and fine these law breakers.

Place gargage cans near the beaches.

Order Municipal staff to maintain the clean up.

Like the real world.

Problems solved.

The problems are never solved in Thailand, they are just made worse

[cumgranosalum]

With the relatively low cost of labour in Thailand, clean beaches - with or without machinery - should be easily achievable. However this is Thailand were people get jobs not through merit but through connections nepotism and graft - the result: - people who can't do the job.

Clearing beaches of chairs, cigarettes and vendors seems a laudable objective....but of course all we see here a a fine example of how NOT to do this.

....and the more the foolish lose face the more they dig into a hole.