Phuket Governor offers reprieve to Patong Loma Park food vendors

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Phuket Governor offers reprieve to Patong Loma Park food vendors

Darawan Naknakhon

 

Phuket Governor Chockchai Dejamorntham (right) speaks with the food vendors at Provincial Hall today (Nov 24). Photo: Darawan Naknakhon

 

PHUKET: -- Governor Chockchai Dejamorntham today ordered Patong Municipality to stop work on renovating the Loma Food Court building on the Patong beachfront into a “community building” until the dispute with vendors evicted from the food court had been resolved.

 

Gov Chockchai ordered the Patong authority to halt its reclamation of the the government-owned building after food vendors appealed to him for help again today en masse at Phuket Provincial Hall.

 

The vendors’ appeal follows Patong Municipality workers sealing off the building yesterday (Nov 23), preventing 13 vendors from opening their food stalls still inside the building.

 

The council workers moved in at about 1:30pm, led by Patong Deputy Mayors Veerasak Kaminthong and Boonma Eibsap, and accompanied by military personnel and volunteers.

 

The workers set up metal barriers to seal off the area.

 

The move comes after all the leases issued to the vendors had expired, and after Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup told vendors at a meeting at Provincial Hall on Nov 1 that it was likely “too late” for Patong Municipality to stop its plan from converting the Loma Food Centre into a “community building”.

 

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-governor-offers-reprieve-to-patong-loma-park-food-vendors-59991.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2016-11-25

[Jimi007]

Welcome to Phuket Governor Chockchai! If you can't say no to a few food vendors, how are you going to make all of the beaches "virgin?" Good luck!

[zaZa9]

Exactly.

These operators have extended their sphere of influence across the  public carpark , where they tell you  to "Move!" at 5pm  , and down to the sand. Despite repeated calls by the council , their landlords , to stay within the building.

None have current leases.

But 13 vendors appear to have power .

At this rate there'll soon be tents and umbrellas back on the beaches...

 

Oh , there already are ....

[DrDave]

The vendors weren't "evicted" in the true sense of the word.

Their leases had all expired, and they refused to vacate. They were also not paying rent.

Suppose you had rented out your house or condo, and after the tenant's lease had expired, he refused to vacate and paid no rent?

 

Although this is a rare case in which I'm in agreement with the mayor, <cynicism> I can't help but suspect that whatever "community" building will replace the food center will somehow become a nice little earner for someone. </cynicism>

 

[LivinginKata]

I'm really surprised that these 13 vendors had enough pull (or money) to persude the new governor to 'review' the lease position.  We can all be sure there is a lot more to this behind the scene.

 

The fact that these vendors refused to move after leases expired just goes to display the complete lawlessness of these beach front 'businesses', and I include the jet skis, street car & bike hire, tuk tuk parking along no parking areas.  The power of money trumps law and order here in (so called) Paradise.