Patong Mayor pushes for sun loungers, calls for clarity over beach rules

[rooster59]

Patong Mayor pushes for sun loungers, calls for clarity over beach rules

The Phuket News

 

Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup has called for special areas to be set aside especially for beach chair vendors. Photo: The Phuket News / file
 

PHUKET: Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup has called for provincial authorities to provide a ‘10% zone’ dedicated to allowing sun loungers with umbrellas back on Phuket’s most popular tourist beach.

 

If the authorities will not allow that, then they should at least clearly write the beach rules denoting what is – and what isn’t allowed – in the 10% zones at all Phuket beaches, she told a meeting at Provincial Hall yesterday (Jan 12).

 

The meeting was called after the Royal Thai Navy just before Christmas ordered vendors operating at Patong Beach to remove “sand loungers” – sun beds sculpted from the beach sand itself as the Navy deemed the creative sun beds to be in breach of the beach rules. (See story here.)

 

Heading the meeting yesterday was Phuket Vice Governor Snith Sriwihok. Also present was Kathu District Chief Sayan Chanachaiwong.

 

“The vendors created these ‘sand loungers’ for the tourists. If the tourists did not ask for them, the operators would not have made them,” she said.

 

“I request that the provincial authorities give 10% (of the beach area) to allow operators to provide beach chairs and umbrellas,” Mayor Chalermluck said.

 

“If this is not allowed, then I request that operators be allowed to do so inside the 10% zones, and the Provincial Office needs to make the rules clear exactly what is and what is not allowed inside the 10% zones so that whatever is done inside the zones, is done so in an orderly fashion,” she said.

 

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/patong-mayor-pushes-for-sun-loungers-calls-for-clarity-over-beach-rules-60624.php#PhBqDSP4MleBxJiU.97

 

 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2017-01-14

 

[Aachen]

The rules are easy: Come, leave your money, go. Don't visit our naturally beautiful beach.

[Oziex1]

Did the tourists really request the building of the sand lounge Hmm?

 

Any way the headline should read "Mayor Under Pressure from Beach Touts to allow Beach Lounges and other Assorted Scams"

[The man from udon]

       My idea of a beach and patongs mayors idea of a beach.

[pieeyed]

Well to me it is not very relaxing sitting on a mat on the sand with no shade in 30 deg plus weather.

 

[IamNoone88]

It doesn't seem to have hurt arrivals. But it does seem to have hurt the pockets of the local beach chair mafia. Jet ski mafia working (check), tuk tuk mafia working (check), extended after hours partying beyond 2am working (check).

 

Nearly back to normal, just got to fix the beach!

[madmitch]

 

1 hour ago, The man from udon said:

       My idea of a beach and patongs mayors idea of a beach.

Your idea of a beach is Karon beach circa 1999. Note the row of sunbeds at the back; does that detract from the beauty of the beach? 

 

The Gazette had a picture from the meeting; it was full of older people, mostly men, and mainly in military uniforms. These are the people making decisions on behalf of tourists and the tourism industry. Where's the tourist representation? Where were those involved in the tourist industry? Do they care what tourists want (rhetorical question, they are only interested in their own egos).  

Edited January 14, 2017 by madmitch

[fish monger]

What would Kobkarn do...!

[GiantFan]

Where do you think the rent goes for each parcel of beach?  

[Destiny1990]

Sunbeds No

 Umbrellas No

Jetskies Yes

[Pinot]

Overwhelming support for keeping the ugly sun loungers off the beach. 

 

It must be so frustrating for that old cow mayor to not have that fat gravy train no longer pouring into her coffers. 

 

Phuket beaches are now beautiful since our beloved PM Prayuth threw those ugly sunchairs off the beach. 

 

I see on the average less than 50% of the mats and umbrellas being used on any day on any beach. They're not needed! They're not wanted. 

 

A big middle finger salute to Phuket's mayor!

[xylophone]

1 hour ago, Destiny1990 said:

Sunbeds No

 Umbrellas No

Jetskies Yes

 

Yes, it seems ironic doesn't it............ and even more so when you consider that Patong Beach is advertised as an ideal tourist destination.

 

And judging from the outcry from tourists when the original bans with regards to umbrellas and some loungers came into operation you would think that the powers that be could have thought of a solution to this problem.

 

All very well for those people who like to look at the beach and walk their dogs along it (yes, I know who you are) yet are not keen on anyone spending comfortable time on it, but then again they are not tourists, just selfish expats in the main.

 

[Destiny1990]

i would suggest ban the parked tuk tuks and remove jet skies and allow umbrellas and sunbeds

[Destiny1990]

2 hours ago, Pinot said:

Overwhelming support for keeping the ugly sun loungers off the beach. 

 

It must be so frustrating for that old cow mayor to not have that fat gravy train no longer pouring into her coffers. 

 

Phuket beaches are now beautiful since our beloved PM Prayuth threw those ugly sunchairs off the beach. 

 

I see on the average less than 50% of the mats and umbrellas being used on any day on any beach. They're not needed! They're not wanted. 

 

A big middle finger salute to Phuket's mayor!

Implement a system that beds and umbrellas only get set up once clients request for it.

[overherebc]

Where is the problem with setting up permanent areas with umbrella type shades made from a substantial upright and palm leaves that easily replaced and maintained and free for anyone to use; hold that idea, I think I see where I'm going wrong here.

[Lokie]

Patong beach was far better, cleaner and used/enjoyed by lots more people incl Tourists, Expats + locals/Thais when the sunloungers were in use with parasols, the vendors provided a great service with drinks and fresh fruit etc, was a great place to relax... 

 

Now is a sorry state on the whole with around 60% less occupancy by said above sectors, those who think this is not the case makes me wonder when was the last time you actually went onto the beach...? I visit every morning and base my statement on what I observe and it saddens me as I love the place but it could be so much better, think some on here are smoking some good gear or sumfink? (sic)

 

Talk about how to run a nice place into the ground??

 

Paradise utopia is never gonna be realistic on an island whose main income is from the tourist $, those looking for that probably need to go to the far side of the moon and once is found hey guess what others follow and again - Paradise lost.

 

 

 

 

[Destiny1990]

What i noticed about Patong is that every 2 minutes people ask me for a tuk tuk ,taxi etc thousend plus of parked (service)vehicles standing still whole day then these drivers disturbing everyone with their lame questions and signs of their taxi in our faces.personally i never was disturbed much about some umbrellas and beach loungers if tourists like sit on it to spend their days why not.if u like empty isolated beaches Thailand has plenty of it just not (yet)in Patong or Kata.

[johng]

^^^^ yes Thailand has thousands of kilometres of coastline surely some can be set aside for beach chairs/umbrellas and other touristy activities ,anything thats a national park should probably be kept/returned to nature
and where its not a national park stop cutting down all the trees !!!

[overherebc]

45 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Where is the problem with setting up permanent areas with umbrella type shades made from a substantial upright and palm leaves that easily replaced and maintained and free for anyone to use; hold that idea, I think I see where I'm going wrong here.

 

Just imagine

[Patanawet]

4 hours ago, Pinot said:

Overwhelming support for keeping the ugly sun loungers off the beach. 

 

It must be so frustrating for that old cow mayor to not have that fat gravy train no longer pouring into her coffers. 

 

Phuket beaches are now beautiful since our beloved PM Prayuth threw those ugly sunchairs off the beach. 

 

I see on the average less than 50% of the mats and umbrellas being used on any day on any beach. They're not needed! They're not wanted. 

 

A big middle finger salute to Phuket's mayor!

I love irony.

[JulesMad]

Hopefully all these 'quality' tourists flock to Patong beach, and BBQ themselves on their sunbeds, get ripped off by jetski's/tuktuk's and other quality activities!

The rest of Thailand is so much better and beautiful than Patong and Phuket, it is better these people stay away from it

[sandemara]

Suddenly a Mayor is not one of the "authorities"? Who would believe a Mayor does not know the rules?  What suspension of reality is required to swallow a load of crap from a person who holds a supposedly powerful civic role?

[Destiny1990]

Besides some umbrellas and chairs i also like some open showers being installed on beaches and water tabs for rinse my feet just like in Spain but i know i am pushing it now.

[gk10002000]

back up please.  So currently are there no sun loungers or umbrellas at any Patong or Karon or Kata beaches?  I mean as a visiting tourist ( I have been there twice in previous years) being able to rent and use a lounge is really important.  If I were to go to Patong or Karon or Kata beaches next week, are there no loungers or umbrellas there?

[Old Croc]

This mayor came into the job with a reform agenda.

She's had the chance to make some real improvements to the town and the beaches.

It seems her real agenda was the same one the previous mayor had.

[gk10002000]

8 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

Besides some umbrellas and chairs i also like some open showers being installed on beaches and water tabs for rinse my feet just like in Spain but i know i am pushing it now.

Some beaches have them. But of course at some point somebody got tired of paying the bill, and no doubt many people abused the purpose of the outdoor showers and used them as regular bathing places.  And in a hot and humid place such as Thailand I bet the outdoor bathing was getting very very common by both Thais and semi homeless expats alike

[Lokie]

11 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

back up please.  So currently are there no sun loungers or umbrellas at any Patong or Karon or Kata beaches?  I mean as a visiting tourist ( I have been there twice in previous years) being able to rent and use a lounge is really important.  If I were to go to Patong or Karon or Kata beaches next week, are there no loungers or umbrellas there?

Patong Beach;

Forget sun loungers they are currently banned, in designated areas the best you currently get is a pvc sun bed 4cm foam mat to lie on and a parasol, some vendors build up a mound of sand to act as a pillow (they was building up full body length mounds of sand until the Navy stopped this just before Christmas) other than that you throw your towel on the beach and bake with no shade...

[NCC1701A]

down here in Hua Hin, we have 90 kilo, 65 year old female Farang tourists still wearing bikinis.

 

good for them, (you go girl and do your thing) but bad for me.

 

so i walk way down the beach and hang out with the Thais who know when to cover up and don't pay a cent to sit on the beach.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 15, 2017 by NCC1701A

[dageurreotype]

On 14/01/2017 at 0:33 PM, xylophone said:

 

Yes, it seems ironic doesn't it............ and even more so when you consider that Patong Beach is advertised as an ideal tourist destination.

 

And judging from the outcry from tourists when the original bans with regards to umbrellas and some loungers came into operation you would think that the powers that be could have thought of a solution to this problem.

 

All very well for those people who like to look at the beach and walk their dogs along it (yes, I know who you are) yet are not keen on anyone spending comfortable time on it, but then again they are not tourists, just selfish expats in the main.

 

 

I have a solution to this problem. Allow Patong beach to be full to the gunnels with sunbeds and jetskis and leave the rest of the beaches in their now natural splendour. Anyone wanting to relax with a beer on a sunbed can therefore go to Patong. It's a shit hole anyway.

[Psimbo]

On 1/14/2017 at 0:33 PM, xylophone said:

 

Yes, it seems ironic doesn't it............ and even more so when you consider that Patong Beach is advertised as an ideal tourist destination.

 

And judging from the outcry from tourists when the original bans with regards to umbrellas and some loungers came into operation you would think that the powers that be could have thought of a solution to this problem.

 

All very well for those people who like to look at the beach and walk their dogs along it (yes, I know who you are) yet are not keen on anyone spending comfortable time on it, but then again they are not tourists, just selfish expats in the main.

 

Nothing selfish about it (and I don't own a dog). The problem is give people an inch and they take the beach, as seen by the Patong 'mounds'. Tourists seem to have accepted the fact that there are no sun loungers (but there are umbrellas) and are just getting on with it. Tourism is down for a variety of reasons- people who bang on about sunbeds being solely responsible for it are living in la-la land.

 

If the graft were taken out of running the beach and a sensible approach could be taken to sun loungers there could be a place for them. The problem is- there isn't.

 

Walk along Kamala beach and see how the 'mounds' and umbrellas are taking up far more than 10% of the beach. Almost the whole frontage of the cemetery has fallen to 'mission creep'.

 

Drive around the back roads of Kamala and there are stacks of sunbeds outside certain houses just waiting for the 'glory days' to return- long may they wait as far as I'm concerned.

 

Edited January 15, 2017 by Psimbo