Phuket Gov pleads for time to settle beach question

[webfact]

Phuket Gov pleads for time to settle beach question
Nattapat Tuarob


Gov Nisit want people to give the new beach management a chance.

PHUKET: -- Governor Nisit Jansomwong gave a lengthy justification of the beach reorganisation in Phuket on Tuesday (April 21), pleading for critics to wait until the trial period is over in another month.

Speaking at his first meeting with honorary consuls on the island, he said, “I want you to understand that in the past, the activities on the beach were mostly illegal – people encroaching on public beaches.

“The other day, I met Michael Hancock, the British Consul, who came down from Bangkok, and he said that in the past the beaches in Phuket were free.

“I explained to him that they were not free, because they were occupied by groups of people. But that image has been changed today because we have strict law enforcement and I won’t let those groups do that again.

“I set three steps for beach management,” he explained. These, he said, are enforcement of laws, beach management and sustainability.

“The first was Social Order – enforcement of the law so that anybody, locals or tourists, can come to use the beach freely.

“The second is beach management. In recognition that some tourists may want to use mats or cushions on the beach, I have set aside the special 10-per-cent zone for them, so that beach users can have a choice.

“Two questions: Why 10 per cent? And why not allow sunbeds and sunloungers [as opposed to mats or cusions]?

“If you allow more than the 10 per cent there will be no room for people who want to just sit on the beach.

“I also listened to Phuket people [who told me] if you let [sunbeds] come back, [the whole beach] will be occupied again.

“Mr Hancock asked me why is the beach regulation so strict? I told him that is because the law in Thailand prohibits littering or drinking alcohol in public.

“I have been six times to beach cleaning sessions and I found the beaches very dirty. There were cigarette ends everywhere I went. How can we create a sustainable beach [like this]?

“I understand that some tourists might not feel comfortable with the rules but I would like you to follow them and understand that we do have rules and you need to follow them.

“Our rules will preserve our nation and our beaches. The rules are meant to keep the beach organised in the long run.

“From now on, police or soldiers will no longer be involved in enforcing rules on tourists. But we will put our rules in hotel rooms and tour companies. I realise that the rules may not be understood [by everyone] in one day. It takes time to change the behaviour of tourists, business operators, and officials.”

As for building up sustainability, he said, “I will discuss with local municipalities the rules for further law enforcement and beach management committees. I have ordered government officials not to go after tourists or disturb them.

“We will use other channels to communicate with the tourists, I promise you that.”

Seven Smulders, honorary consul for the Netherlands, said he thought that the prohibition on beach chairs and sunbeds would see Phuket lose a large number of elderly tourists.

Governor Nisit replied, “I understand that some tourists have different needs but I want you to wait for this three-month plan to end – it’s been in place two months now – after which I will evaluate performance and will discuss all the concerns and problems with government officials.

“I would like to ask for you to understand that when it comes to matters of public policy, I must listen to all the stakeholders in the province.

“This is a public policy, and there will definitely be winners and losers. I want to see the benefit going to our country.

“What surprised me is that tourists visiting Phuket are [generally] happy. But people in Phuket are not. In the Gross National Happiness Index, Phuket people are second from last.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-gov-pleads-for-time-to-settle-beach-question-51993.php


-- Phuket News 2015-04-23

[Sharp]

Just replace the mats with beds.!!

Job done!

[Pinot]

Thailand should never go back to the sun chairs that completely dominated the beaches before the clean-up. Just enforce the rules. No encroachment on the King's beach. The existing plan is working it just needs more enforcement efforts.

[ksamuiguy]

There is a law, follow it to the letter, no exceptions.

Exceptions bring on corruption.

Don't like the law, there is a legal means to change it.

Where is the problem?

[useronthenet]

Quote "I told him that is because the law in Thailand prohibits littering or drinking alcohol in public." .. really ? So all the bars that do business must also be illegal, since tourists drink openly in tourist spots across Thailand, and yet the law is not enforced. Seems very convenient for the law to be applied in some situations, and not others !

[Chao Lao Beach]

Can't they bring their own chair and brolly ?

If they come to a country protesting, why an they just buy a chair and take it tot he beach with them like in USA, Australia etc

[Guest]

“From now on, police or soldiers will no longer be involved in enforcing rules on tourists. But we will put our rules in hotel rooms and tour companies"

OK ... you lost me there...

[keestha]

Seems like the present authorities are in the process of learning it by doing it, continuously adapting the rules. In the longer run a good solution might be worked out, but then a lot of damage will have been done already.

During the high season which is drawing to an end now, in a lot of Phuket hotels unhappy elderly German speakers and Scandinavians sitting around the swimming pool all day, complaining that there are no beach chairs.

[Incobart]

I think 'zone' dividing is difficult for tourist and annoying. Tourist wants to sit in front or close by their hotel.not walk 2 km. Before have 2 sometimes 3 rows of chairs. If you make just 1 row chairs and umbrellas close to the waterline, and the space behind with tree shadow free open nature space, then everyone can sit everywhere they want with the choice 'chairbed, umbrella, nice view, service' and pay for it, others that don't want to pay and don't need service .. can use the space behind.

clear and easy, no zone searching walking.

[RigPig]

Can't they bring their own chair and brolly ?

If they come to a country protesting, why an they just buy a chair and take it tot he beach with them like in USA, Australia etc

That´s the problem, and stupid part, about it. Your not allowed to. And yet that is all it would take to fix the problem. The actual problem is the ex-vendors are jacking up and they haven´t got the stones to stand up to them. This is their way of trying to please everybody. A compromise where no one is happy. They can (could) still rent them, just not on the beach .....

[Emster23]

I wonder where signs reading "We want to see the beach touted in the ads!" might be? I could see perhaps 25% umbrellas etc. Short time tourists would get burnt to a crisp without them. I don't know if Phuket is similar to Jomtien in that here if there is no umbrella concession, then the walkway near by is buried in sand. Use concession income to pay for beach maintaining, not mia nois etc.

[IamNoone88]

“From now on, police or soldiers will no longer be involved in enforcing rules on tourists. But we will put our rules in hotel rooms and tour companies. I realise that the rules may not be understood [by everyone] in one day. It takes time to change the behaviour of tourists, business operators, and officials.”

And there is the answer - back to thousands of sunbeds, bars and no more 10% special zone! The rot is allowed to set back in as its not police effectively.

Its not the tourists that are fault but the local community for breaking the rules and providing the sunbeds, liquor and illegal buildings in the first place.....so posting rules in hotel rooms will be totally useless - they should be sign posted on the beach and in Thai.

[Rykbanlor]

Euch, how grim. I am not a beach person at the best of times, but to imagine a holiday where one's goal is to lie on a sunbed on a crowded beach full of european holidaymakers.....euch.

[soalbundy]

44 not working??

[godden]

Littering is illegal in Thailand, well i'll be a monkey's aunt.

[jonclark]

Littering is illegal in Thailand, well i'll be a monkey's aunt.

Also drinking in public is as well ...apparently?

[FarangKyAy]

Meanwhile on Ao Manao Beach in a military base at Prachuap Khiri Khan there are plenty of chairs and umbrellas businessmen right on the beach, you can order strong liquores to waiters some of them seem to ne military (depending or the operation you choisies to sur)

No crackdown here apparently 555

To there discharge them do let good space for people who want to sit on the beach, in full Sun beware the sunburnts!

Each business cleans its part or beach every day

Edited April 24, 2015 by FarangKyAy

[dean in bangkok]

This is a bit off topic but I feel relevant to the beach debate. It would be nice if Thai authority spent some time on the cleanliness of Thai beaches. I am currently spending some time with the family at Mae Pim during the school holidays. Whilst this is a still relatively unspoiled area of Thailand and has stricter controls over building heights the beaches are a disgrace. There is rubbish and litter just left on the beaches totally spoiling the whole environment. What is it with Thais and the local authorities that do not have any respect for cleaning up after themselves. I watch them come to the beach with all their picnic gear and then when they are finished just get up and leave all their rubbish behind them. This not only happens here but it is an inherent problem in Thailand. I remember the "keep Australia Beautiful" campaign which focused on this very issue if only some one could try the same type of campaign here.

[blackjack69]

Hey , you have to laugh, just cut short our trip in Phuket (4 people 50+) staying one week stayed 2days, as we all have big problems in trying to sit on the sand without help and quite honestly we do not want to anyway, but the thing that made us laugh was that the "10%" area , are charging the same for just 2 "mats and umbrella" 200bht ! the same that we had paid before, for a Bed, Mat, brella, 200bht

[NanLaew]

... From now on, police or soldiers will no longer be involved in enforcing rules on tourists. But we will put our rules in hotel rooms and tour companies. ..."

Why on earth does this need to be enforced by police let alone the military anyway? I don't think there are many countries with popular tourist beaches that have their police buggering about with deck chairs versus sun beds. That should be a City or Municipal regulation enforced by a lower order task force. In Pattaya, when you see an official clamp down on illegal beach peddlers or street vendors, the silver pickup truck with red strobes and uniformed guys aren't from Soi 9 or the Tourist Police. I believe they are a different team that operate out of City Hall that do that level of enforcement. They hand any law breakers over to the local police. Why don't they get tasked with this deck chair rigmarole as well instead of chasing the odd itinerant gai yang and somtam sellers?

[ToddinChonburi]

Just go and walk along the walkway in Bang Saen , Try to look at the ocean through all the umbrella's that are lined up. Never seen anything like this anywhere in the world. A total disgrace.

[scorecard]

How come the two signs say the same thing and the same handwriting?

Set up by vendors?

[scorecard]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

... From now on, police or soldiers will no longer be involved in enforcing rules on tourists. But we will put our rules in hotel rooms and tour companies. ..."

Why on earth does this need to be enforced by police let alone the military anyway? I don't think there are many countries with popular tourist beaches that have their police buggering about with deck chairs versus sun beds. That should be a City or Municipal regulation enforced by a lower order task force. In Pattaya, when you see an official clamp down on illegal beach peddlers or street vendors, the silver pickup truck with red strobes and uniformed guys aren't from Soi 9 or the Tourist Police. I believe they are a different team that operate out of City Hall that do that level of enforcement. They hand any law breakers over to the local police. Why don't they get tasked with this deck chair rigmarole as well instead of chasing the odd itinerant gai yang and somtam sellers?

On the other hand is it appropriate that visitors, tourists, beachgoers are not allowed to sit on the beach without charge?

Do you recall the incident just 2 months ago when the employee of a beach chair vendor kicked sand all over a tourist just trying to sit on the beach and forced her to leave.

Needs to be some balance here.

Edited April 24, 2015 by scorecard

[AlQaholic]

The town where i grew up in Sweden is a tourist town (in the summer) with lots of beaches. There is a law in Sweden that gives everyone right to go anywhere in nature, even if it is private property. The beaches are always full in summer and in the evening the beaches are clean and pristine after everyone has gone, no littering not because someone enforces no littering laws but because it's just the natural thing to do, keep clean around yourself and the environment.

I often visit a military beach here in Thailand, it is very well managed with natural shade by trees. White clean sand and clear water you can see the bottom even at 2 -3 meters depth. There are chairs for rental (30 baht, you get 10 baht back when returning the chair), mats for rental, you can bring your own umbrella if you want, there are several restaurants and food stalls near the beach, you can buy beer and drink on the beach. They have sea canoes for rental, there are no jet-skies, no boats. A very pleasant beach. Managed by the military. How difficult can it be to manage other beaches for example in Phuket in the same way???? It is not rocket science after all....

Plant some palm trees for shade, set up some food stalls by the beach where people can go and choose by themselves what and when to eat, set up a beach chair and rental stall, fence the whole beach with only one entrance and voila no beach vendors harassing the visitors....

Have a clean up crew that cleans the beach every evening. they can probably even charge a small entrance fee for keeping the beach clean.

Edited April 24, 2015 by AlQaholic

[ToddinChonburi]

Why does this need to be enforced by the military ? Because the police do not do there jobs. Double parking no parking zones

Double and triple right hand turns and U turns. Do not even get me started on the motorbikes.

[4MyEgo]

I would have thought that a tendering process would have settled this, with the local council having to clean up the beach, from the fees it receives from the licencees on the beach.

[ttthailand]

Just keep all venders off the beach and let people bring there own chairs erc. If they want to rent from some place off the beach so be it .... Just no venders on the beach.

[Monkeyrobot]

You be dum dum sit beach no umbrella hot season,

[thhMan]

Its all fake...

They are written by the same person....

Its a sad attempt by someone to make this an issue...

[steelepulse]

Unfortunately this can't be managed, due to greed. There are so many simple solutions, but no matter what is proposed, greed creeps in and the public good gets tossed in the ****ter. Most every country in the world can control their beaches and set up amenities for the public good Public showers, restrooms every 500 metres etc.), but not here in Phuket.