Phuket beach excavation mired in silence, double-standards

[webfact]

Phuket beach excavation mired in silence, double-standards

Eakkapop Thongtub

 

Tourists look on as the backhoe excavates a canal at Phuket’s popular Bang Tao Beach. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

 

PHUKET: -- A backhoe driver excavating sand on Bang Tao Beach while completing a government project to improve the public wastewater-treatment system in the area has been arrested for operating the backhoe on the beach without a permit.

 

Officers arrested Prasit Popthong at 10:30am on Dec 21 when they found him excavating sand on Bang Tao Beach. Mr Prasit was taken to Cherng Talay Police Station for questioning and the backhoe was seized.

 

However, Cherng Talay Police Chief Col Serm Kwannimit has since declined to disclose in detail the ongoing police action in the case.

 

Asked what charges, if any, Mr Prasit was facing, Col Serm replied, “I cannot reveal that at this time as the case is still under investigation.”

 

Asked what action police were taking against Prayongsin Kanyotha Co Ltd, which was hired by the Cherng Talay Tambon Administrative Organisation (OrBorTor) to carry out the project, Col Serm curtly said, “If they want their backhoe back to continue the work, they will need to present the backhoe registration.”

 

Oddly, Col Serm made no mention of police needing to see any permit the company have to operate the backhoe on the beach in order to carry out a government project.

 

However, Col Serm did confirm that he had informed the Phuket Marine Office of the incident.

 

To this Phuket Marine Office Director Surat Sirisaiyad told The Phuket News this week that he had no knowledge of the backhoe on Bang Tao Beach – despite The Phuket News receiving photos plainly showing Phuket Marine officials inveatigating the incident at Bang Tao Beach.

 

“I have not received any report about this case yet. Please ask police about their charge,” was all Mr Surat would say.

 

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-beach-excavation-mired-in-silence-double-standards-60443.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2016-12-30

[eisfeld]

Yay, more beach destruction. Go go go. Let all that dirt water run into the sea directly on the beach. Soon there wont be any tourists left whatsoever. BTW what happened to the wastewater on Surin beach that was supposed to be "cleaned up" with a backhoe? Maybe this guy took a wrong turn.

Edited December 30, 2016 by eisfeld

[Rhys]

filler time...

[sebastion]

Worst beach on Phuket without a doubt.
Ear/nose/throat infections always guests complaints.

Sent from my EVA-L19 using Tapatalk

[Brer Fox]

5 hours ago, sebastion said:

Worst beach on Phuket without a doubt.
Ear/nose/throat infections always guests complaints.

Sent from my EVA-L19 using Tapatalk
 

A new canal to allow the blind trout from the waste water treatment system and other inland waterways to run free to the sea via the beach.  

[Psimbo]

Classic- backhoe driver on a GOVERNMENT Project arrested- I'm glad I live in a place where we can't make this up.

 

Thailand- a chuckle a day!

[bheard]

25 minutes ago, Psimbo said:

Classic- backhoe driver on a GOVERNMENT Project arrested- I'm glad I live in a place where we can't make this up.

 

Thailand- a chuckle a day!

 

Ha ha, yes, quite a few chuckles going on lately, what with the flying saucer saga, the Chinese/Malaysian buses.

All good clean fun!

[lungnorm]

You cannot use a backhoe for collecting Pipi's.

[KarenBravo]

The senior local government officials, who are all probably in their late forties, or fifties, have no idea of the power of the internet. They can't rely on not being questioned when they make these stupid decisions, like it used to be in their "good ol' days".

[DrDave]

Very refreshing news article (from a journalistic standpoint). 

It's nice to see that a reporter has probed and asked some follow-up questions in connecting the dots and showing the complete picture. Quite a departure from the usual lap-dog role that the local media plays in simply relaying a half-baked message from the local authorities.

Kudos to the reporter.

[Reigntax]

 "I cannot reveal that at this time as the case is still under investigation.”

 

English translation. 

F%€ked if I know...

[Shot]

"Phuket beach excavation mired in silence, double-standards"

 

I thought "double-standards" were the standard?