Phuket beach covered with umbrellas, chairs

[rooster59]

Phuket beach covered with umbrellas, chairs


Laem Sing is one of Phuket's 'virgin beaches', which means no beach furniture of any kind is supposed to be on the sands. Photo: Gazette reader

PHUKET: Though all umbrellas and beach chairs on Phuket's Laem Sing Beach are banned, photographs taken today from above the beach show beach furniture obscuring much of the sand.

Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat, who is in charge of the island’s beach management, vowed to take action against the violation of provincial rules next week.

“Laem Sing is not listed as one of the beaches under the 10 per cent beach management plan. It is supposed to be a virgin beach, devoid of all beach furniture, thus returning it to its natural beauty,” V/Gov Chokdee confirmed to the Phuket Gazette today.

Full story: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Phuket-beach-covered-umbrellas-chairs/62895?desktopversion

-- Phuket Gazette 2016-01-16

[Reigntax]

Lucky the vice governer has some citizens willing to report what is going on under his nose, saving him the effort to get off his backside!

[petedk]

Lucky the vice governer has some citizens willing to report what is going on under his nose, saving him the effort to get off his backside!

Oh come on. Give the guy a chance. He said he'll be taking action next week.

[iReason]

Hmmm... Fancy that, a virgin beach full of empty chairs.

“The issue at this beach is a bit more complicated, as the entrance to the sands is privately owned"

DELETED

Edited January 16, 2016 by seedy
troll / flaming

[seedy]

Troll / Flaming / Off Topic posts removed

[rhythmworx]

I've been speaking to the wifes cousin about this.

He's a bit of an avante garde artist and occasionally does art installations in Bangkok.

He told me before the rules come in next week and action comes into place, he's going to fill the pick-up with old rusted bicycle frames and bits of scrap metal, barbed wire etc... and go down there in the middle of the night and weld something up on a large scale.

He has no quarms about being found out as he says it will be good publicity for his next exhibition in March.

I asked him what exactly is he going to make, he told me he's not sure yet but will make it as controversial as possible.

All I know is it involves cutting a few palm trees down and relocating it amongst the rusted metal welded installation.

Anything goes with this guy, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing it.

[Just1Voice]

Simple solution. Show up with the police/military, and their big truck. Block the entrance/exit so no one can get out. Confiscate all the equipment and arrest the owners. Fine them 1,000 baht for every piece of equipment they own, plus 10 days in jail. And since the entrance is on private property, and need the owners permission to get to the beach, arrest and fine them as well.

But TIT, so we know something that logical will never happen.

[geisha]

In any other sane country, the police would have arrived in force straight away and put a stop to all this, arrests, court etc .in any other sane country, it wouldn't have happened in the first place !

[joebrown]

I think this situation calls for a bit of imagination on the part of the military. Surely there can't be any problem even if access to the beach by land is restricted. What about bringing the 'dormant' aircraft carrier (currently rusting in Sattahip) out on an exercise, and use it as a floating base to launch an assault by the Marines (currently playing golf in Sattahip)? I'm sure they would welcome the chance to help out the local militia, but that would only be on the condition they can get good signal reception for their mobile phones.

[Youaredoomed]

Maybe it's a food court and certain members are trying to 'reserve' a seat?

[oldsailor35]

Lucky the vice governer has some citizens willing to report what is going on under his nose, saving him the effort to get off his backside!

Oh come on. Give the guy a chance. He said he'll be taking action next week.

Gotta think about the months "cash turnover"

[dageurreotype]

Laem Sing hasn't been a 'virgin beach' in the 20 years I've been here. I would say it was even worse than Patong. And at least Patong is in a 'tourist area'.

[Krataiboy]

Clearly a case of supply and demand. Most people like the sight of a "virgin" beach, but if they are going to spend a day on it they usually enjoy having a few facilities - deck chairs, sunshades, food and drink, etc.

Looking at the picture, there seems to be plenty of room to spare for those individuals who would rather simply put down there own towel and barbecue themselves into a crisp.

Thailand used to be a freewheeling live and let live society. Now it appears to be morphing into a nasty little bureaucracy, with beach and street vendors bearing the brunt of officialdom. The result is a lot of people losing jobs and Thailand losing its essential charact

I never thought I would find myself yearning for the "good old days" after just a few years here, but I am.

[elgordo38]

Lucky the vice governer has some citizens willing to report what is going on under his nose, saving him the effort to get off his backside!

Here here. He sure knows how to turn the bluster machine on at the right time. Impeccable timing like just prior to election time they spout promises to the electorate right left and sideways. After the election its put up your feet mint julep time. Had someone not brought this to peoples attention nothing more than likely would have been done. Like all politicians you have to embarrass them into doing something and then they flip a coin to see if its worth their effort.

Edited January 17, 2016 by elgordo38

[Alwyn]

Exactly what damage do these chairs and umbrellas do? Except protect us from skin cancer by affording some shade of course, and we wouldn't want that would we... Do the chairs and umbrellas break the sand into smaller grains or something? Thank Buddha there are still civilised countries where people can sit on the beach, enjoy some shade, have a cold one and enjoy their vacation

[phycokiller]

Clearly a case of supply and demand. Most people like the sight of a "virgin" beach, but if they are going to spend a day on it they usually enjoy having a few facilities - deck chairs, sunshades, food and drink, etc.

Looking at the picture, there seems to be plenty of room to spare for those individuals who would rather simply put down there own towel and barbecue themselves into a crisp.

Thailand used to be a freewheeling live and let live society. Now it appears to be morphing into a nasty little bureaucracy, with beach and street vendors bearing the brunt of officialdom. The result is a lot of people losing jobs and Thailand losing its essential charact

I never thought I would find myself yearning for the "good old days" after just a few years here, but I am.

nice in theory but in practice those freewheeling beach venders will probably get violent if anyone does put down their own towel

[HerbalEd]

Virgin beach, virgin bar girl. Same same.

[Mr Creosote]

In any other sane country, the police would have arrived in force straight away and put a stop to all this, arrests, court etc .in any other sane country, it wouldn't have happened in the first place !

Are you joking? They have been paid to look the other way.

[Mr Creosote]

Clearly a case of supply and demand. Most people like the sight of a "virgin" beach, but if they are going to spend a day on it they usually enjoy having a few facilities - deck chairs, sunshades, food and drink, etc.

Looking at the picture, there seems to be plenty of room to spare for those individuals who would rather simply put down there own towel and barbecue themselves into a crisp.

Thailand used to be a freewheeling live and let live society. Now it appears to be morphing into a nasty little bureaucracy, with beach and street vendors bearing the brunt of officialdom. The result is a lot of people losing jobs and Thailand losing its essential charact

I never thought I would find myself yearning for the "good old days" after just a few years here, but I am.

I tend to agree but the problem is when they put too many out on the beach. There needs to be control of numbers so that the whole damn beach isn't covered in umbrellas. Assign vendors (perhaps by lottery) and give them a maximum number of chairs/umbrellas for the assigned space.

[geisha]

If the chair owners had been licensed and number controlled by the local authorities/ council they would have paid taxes and all would have been hunky dory. As it was, the chairs stretched from wall to the water, invading the whole beach and letting no one lay down on their towel.As it is, the local councils are incapable of figuring out a plan to keep the number of chairs under control. So, no chairs it is on Phuket.

[LeungKen]

Please use discretion in your references to the government. Phrases which can be considered as anti-coup will be removed. Referring to Thailand or the government as a dictatorship, military dictatorship or other such terms will be removed.

[Jimi007]

Exactly what damage do these chairs and umbrellas do? Except protect us from skin cancer by affording some shade of course, and we wouldn't want that would we... Do the chairs and umbrellas break the sand into smaller grains or something? Thank Buddha there are still civilised countries where people can sit on the beach, enjoy some shade, have a cold one and enjoy their vacation

If you consider taking over a public beach and setting up shop and act like you can run a public beach for profit no harm, then I guess it just great... But it's illegal!

I say round up the law breakers, take all their gear and fine them...

[KarenBravo]

There is no fear of the law if laws aren't enforced and even if they are, the punishment is inconsequential.

So much for the army.

Wonder what Mr. Morison would think.

Must hurt to have all the "doom-sayers" proved right, over and over and over again.

[Alwyn]

Exactly what damage do these chairs and umbrellas do? Except protect us from skin cancer by affording some shade of course, and we wouldn't want that would we... Do the chairs and umbrellas break the sand into smaller grains or something? Thank Buddha there are still civilised countries where people can sit on the beach, enjoy some shade, have a cold one and enjoy their vacation

If you consider taking over a public beach and setting up shop and act like you can run a public beach for profit no harm, then I guess it just great... But it's illegal!

I say round up the law breakers, take all their gear and fine them...

In this particular case a beach that can only be accessed by going through private property and who these particular vendors pay rent. Do you reallt think that the people who set up shop on Kamala or any other beach just took over the beaches? No, they signed and paid for licenses from local government in most cases and many of them have been working these beaches for decades, long before the sanctimonious TV whiners arrived in Thailand. But it isn't just that is it? A tourist can't even take his own umbrella to the beach now, unless they want to crowd in on the allocated 10%. Perhaps - as you're such a law abiding type, you might go to Koh Samui where not one single beach has been "cleared" and go round up the offenders there?

[Jimi007]

Exactly what damage do these chairs and umbrellas do? Except protect us from skin cancer by affording some shade of course, and we wouldn't want that would we... Do the chairs and umbrellas break the sand into smaller grains or something? Thank Buddha there are still civilised countries where people can sit on the beach, enjoy some shade, have a cold one and enjoy their vacation

If you consider taking over a public beach and setting up shop and act like you can run a public beach for profit no harm, then I guess it just great... But it's illegal!

I say round up the law breakers, take all their gear and fine them...

In this particular case a beach that can only be accessed by going through private property and who these particular vendors pay rent. Do you reallt think that the people who set up shop on Kamala or any other beach just took over the beaches? No, they signed and paid for licenses from local government in most cases and many of them have been working these beaches for decades, long before the sanctimonious TV whiners arrived in Thailand. But it isn't just that is it? A tourist can't even take his own umbrella to the beach now, unless they want to crowd in on the allocated 10%. Perhaps - as you're such a law abiding type, you might go to Koh Samui where not one single beach has been "cleared" and go round up the offenders there?

It doesn't matter how the beach is accessed according to the law. Everything up to the highest tide mark is the kings land. The access to the land I have read is owner by Channel 7 TV Thailand. While I agree the local Or Bor Tor did do what ever they could get away with, I know a couple of guys who were beach vendors and walked away very happy.

The governor has stated anyone bringing their own umbrella and chair may sit anywhere, not just in the 10%. The vice governor, who is always making inconsistent statements, has said people who bring their own would be invited into the 10% zone.

Before the last government took over, I could barely walk along the beach at Nai Harn as chairs were to the low water mark. They knew it was illegal and they offered me a free chair many times. But I'm there for a swim or a surf and come home or find a tree for a bit of shade. And I'm certain I can bring a beverage and a bite to eat if I want to hang out for a while if I choose. I do when I go out to Koh Hae for the day...

[Maestro]

Removed an off-topic post.

[gawaterman]

They have nothing to worry about, chinese tourists love that sort of thing. Have a look at their beaches

Edited January 18, 2016 by gawaterman

[ajarnmarc]

Virgin beach, virgin bar girl. Same same.

Which do you think is hotter?

[NamKangMan]

If you were a returning western tourist who stayed away from Phuket this season, specifically because there would be no beach chairs and umbrellas ti hire, you would not be happy seeing that photo in the OP.

If you were a western tourists contemplating coming back to Phuket after the announcement the beach chair mafia had been cleaned up, and you could lay on the beach in peace, one look at the photo in the OP and your decision is made.

The whole issue is a disgrace and embarrassing.