PHUKET: Beach gear was being trucked away from Patong tonight on the eve of a purge of the sand by the Army leading up to a new regulation banning loungers and umbrellas from all Phuket beaches.
Patong, the large west coast holiday hub that is usually covered in umbrellas each December, is finally falling to a military movement aimed at giving all of Phuket's beaches back to nature.
Nai Yang beach is also to be cleared of illegal loungers and shorefront restaurants from tomorrow but by a team from National Parks rather than the Army.
While the future for Phuket's 200 or so noisy, polluting jet-skis has yet to be announced, the odds of them surviving are slim. It's only a matter of time before the motorcycles of the sea follow Phuket beach loungers and umbrellas into extinction. Parasailing will probably end, too.
Beach and shorefront clearances have already taken place at Surin, Kamala, Kata-Karon, Nai Harn and Laem Sing, with out-of-season visitors and Phuket residents marvelling at how beautiful the beaches now look after years of degradation. Bang Tao, Layan and Laypang (northern Bang Tao) are to follow.
Vice Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada told Phuketwan today that a regulation banning loungers and umbrellas on Phuket was being drafted and would be approved as soon as possible.
Visitors returning this coming high season will find a holiday island that is transformed and becoming naturally beautiful all over again, free for all and free at last of the commercial free-for-all.
The jet-skis? Vice Governor Jamleran said they will initially face high insurance to end the scams and rip-offs. The outcry to have them banned from Phuket's newly natural beaches, though, is likely to be overwhelming.
The only problem is, as one wise Phuket administrator once confided: ''If these people are busy on the beach, we know where they are and what they are doing.''
The saving of Phuket's beaches for future generations of Thais and tourists is part of the ''miracle in camouflage.''
The advent of change for the better in Thailand under military rule has been especially pronounced on Phuket, where it has been accompanied by a task force operation - executed with military precision but mostly by police - that has begun to tame the taxis and tuk-tuks.
Taxi shacks have been demolished, scores of drivers have been arrested for intimidation and alleged fraud, and the purge continued yesterday at Phuket International Airport, where the taxi drivers have ruled for years.
Even better times may be to come for Phuket if the Army and its allies continue to run rampant through the list of problems that have plagued Phuket for years, without resolution.
Here's Vice Governor Jamleran's list of Things for the Army to Do: beaches, taxis and tuk-tuks, attacks on public land, public transport, garbage, bad water, ''mafia'' gangs and drugs.
We think as many topics as possible should be added while the military is still in the mood to wage a war against evil, Phuket style.
May 20 Martial law imposed
May 22 Army General Prayuth Chan-ocha takes control of Thailand after politicians are unable to compromise
June 3 Phuketwan reports exclusively that Phuket taxi task force is about to act
June 4 About 1150 soldiers, police and volunteers sweep across Phuket, arresting drivers and local officials from Karon
June 5 Demolition of taxi shacks on public land begins
June 7 Shorefront and beach clearance begins at Surin
June 12 Kamala beach vendors told to clear sands and foreshore
June 16 Laypang, Layan and Bang Tao clearances to follow
June 30 Laem Sing beach ordered clear of restaurants
July 1 ''Road map'' drawn up to clear Patong of taxi, tuk-tuk parking
July 7 Task force descends on Phuket International Airport to control taxis, illegal shops
July 9 Vendors to be cleared from Patong beach, restaurants to come down at Nai Yang
Patong, the large west coast holiday hub that is usually covered in umbrellas each December, is finally falling to a military movement aimed at giving all of Phuket's beaches back to nature.
Nai Yang beach is also to be cleared of illegal loungers and shorefront restaurants from tomorrow but by a team from National Parks rather than the Army.
While the future for Phuket's 200 or so noisy, polluting jet-skis has yet to be announced, the odds of them surviving are slim. It's only a matter of time before the motorcycles of the sea follow Phuket beach loungers and umbrellas into extinction. Parasailing will probably end, too.
Beach and shorefront clearances have already taken place at Surin, Kamala, Kata-Karon, Nai Harn and Laem Sing, with out-of-season visitors and Phuket residents marvelling at how beautiful the beaches now look after years of degradation. Bang Tao, Layan and Laypang (northern Bang Tao) are to follow.
Vice Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada told Phuketwan today that a regulation banning loungers and umbrellas on Phuket was being drafted and would be approved as soon as possible.
Visitors returning this coming high season will find a holiday island that is transformed and becoming naturally beautiful all over again, free for all and free at last of the commercial free-for-all.
The jet-skis? Vice Governor Jamleran said they will initially face high insurance to end the scams and rip-offs. The outcry to have them banned from Phuket's newly natural beaches, though, is likely to be overwhelming.
The only problem is, as one wise Phuket administrator once confided: ''If these people are busy on the beach, we know where they are and what they are doing.''
The saving of Phuket's beaches for future generations of Thais and tourists is part of the ''miracle in camouflage.''
The advent of change for the better in Thailand under military rule has been especially pronounced on Phuket, where it has been accompanied by a task force operation - executed with military precision but mostly by police - that has begun to tame the taxis and tuk-tuks.
Taxi shacks have been demolished, scores of drivers have been arrested for intimidation and alleged fraud, and the purge continued yesterday at Phuket International Airport, where the taxi drivers have ruled for years.
Even better times may be to come for Phuket if the Army and its allies continue to run rampant through the list of problems that have plagued Phuket for years, without resolution.
Here's Vice Governor Jamleran's list of Things for the Army to Do: beaches, taxis and tuk-tuks, attacks on public land, public transport, garbage, bad water, ''mafia'' gangs and drugs.
We think as many topics as possible should be added while the military is still in the mood to wage a war against evil, Phuket style.
Timeline for Change on Phuket
May 20 Martial law imposed
May 22 Army General Prayuth Chan-ocha takes control of Thailand after politicians are unable to compromise
June 3 Phuketwan reports exclusively that Phuket taxi task force is about to act
June 4 About 1150 soldiers, police and volunteers sweep across Phuket, arresting drivers and local officials from Karon
June 5 Demolition of taxi shacks on public land begins
June 7 Shorefront and beach clearance begins at Surin
June 12 Kamala beach vendors told to clear sands and foreshore
June 16 Laypang, Layan and Bang Tao clearances to follow
June 30 Laem Sing beach ordered clear of restaurants
July 1 ''Road map'' drawn up to clear Patong of taxi, tuk-tuk parking
July 7 Task force descends on Phuket International Airport to control taxis, illegal shops
July 9 Vendors to be cleared from Patong beach, restaurants to come down at Nai Yang
I never believed that God would hear my prays! But now I believe he Did.
Posted by phuketexpat on July 8, 2014 20:38