A TAXI driver who confronted a judge over a parking space at a Phuket beach ignited interest in Bangkok and drew a warning from Phuket's Police Commander last night.
Concerns are mounting about the activities of thugs and intimidation at Surin beach and nearby Bang Tao beach, with locals questioning their safety and the destruction of at least one beachside shop.
The young female judge, who does not wish to be named, parked her car in the public park at Surn beach last night. As she walked to the restaurant with her family, a taxi driver said: ''You can't park here. This is for taxi parking.''
She responded: ''Sorry, this is a public place.'' Before walking on to the restaurant, she took the precaution of noting the ''black'' taxi's number plate.
The taxi driver pursued her, and not knowing she was a judge, said: ''Over there is the police station, if you have the power.'' She walked on.
The taxi driver went back and mounted a motorcycle, then pursued the judge right to the steps of the beach restaurant.
To her rescue came a shopkeeper, one of a family who have already claimed that thugs on Surin beat up a sister in the family.
She was standing with the judge when the taxi driver said: ''My boss is Mayor Manot. [Manot Phanchalad is the Mayor of Cherng Talay.]
The judge, in a third face-off with the taxi-driver, placed a mobile telephone call to her father, a senior judge in Bangkok.
Within five minutes, the Surin beachfront was swarming with police who arrived in two cars. As a result of last night's confrontation, Phuket Police Commander Pekad Tantipong said he planned to take further action.
Last night's confrontation followed an extraordinary meeting on the Surin beachfront on Tuesday when the sisters and a brother of a fruit vendor who was beaten up on the beach last week faced off with two of the men accused of the assault.
After the meeting, Phuketwan talked to Suprarinya Jampada, 35, at neighboring Bang Tao beach, near the Babylon Beach Club. Khun Supraniya says her shop was destroyed by the local council.
She questioned why some local people were not allowed to run businesses on the beach while other businesses had illegally built structures on the sand, both at Bang Tao and Surin.
''There are many businesses much bigger than mine much closer to the beach,'' she said. ''Why are some people allowed to run these operations, while others are not?
''I know why. I don't pay money to the Orbortor [the local council]. I am sure these places also do not pay tax. I am happy to pay tax.''
She said her thatch and bamboo shop had been damaged three times before it was flattened, and each time she went to the local police. ''I had a call from the Superintendent of Cherng Talay police to say, 'Please cancel your case, because there isn't enough evidence to say who damaged your shop.' That makes me sad.''
Earlier at the meeting on Surin beachfront, the Director of Thalang District, Narunat Supattharapateep, heard members of the family of the fruit vendor who was beaten up last week on Surin beach accuse the proprietor of Dab Restaurant of leading the attack.
''Can we still walk on the beach selling our fruit?'' one family member asked. The conversation became quite heated.
Khun Pradab said: ''You have to ask the orbortor because I have to pay tax to the orbortor.''
A family member: ''Where is the tax bill? Please show us how much you pay. You can't show us, because it's under the table.''
Another of the family said: ''Who will guarantee our protection on the beach? Tourists and Thais are attacked almost every day, but no-one can help.''
Director Narunat said the 101 rai of the old golf course behind Surin beach remained public space.
''All buildings alongside here are outside the law,'' he said. ''The law says it is my role and the role of the Cherng Talay orbortor to manage the beach. We cannot make the law work 100 percent, and it's public land, so everybody is entitled to sell on the beach.''
At the end of the meeting, Khun Pradab invited the director and his entourage to stay for dinner.
Officials who joined the meeting and stayed for dinner also looked at smelly, garbage-strewn parts of the area immediately behind Surin beach.
A recently-published report by Thailand's Pollution Control Department surveyed 14 Phuket beaches and found that local authorities were not adequately protecting against encroachment or environmental hazards.
Something New for Phuket's Old TownConcerns are mounting about the activities of thugs and intimidation at Surin beach and nearby Bang Tao beach, with locals questioning their safety and the destruction of at least one beachside shop.
The young female judge, who does not wish to be named, parked her car in the public park at Surn beach last night. As she walked to the restaurant with her family, a taxi driver said: ''You can't park here. This is for taxi parking.''
She responded: ''Sorry, this is a public place.'' Before walking on to the restaurant, she took the precaution of noting the ''black'' taxi's number plate.
The taxi driver pursued her, and not knowing she was a judge, said: ''Over there is the police station, if you have the power.'' She walked on.
The taxi driver went back and mounted a motorcycle, then pursued the judge right to the steps of the beach restaurant.
To her rescue came a shopkeeper, one of a family who have already claimed that thugs on Surin beat up a sister in the family.
She was standing with the judge when the taxi driver said: ''My boss is Mayor Manot. [Manot Phanchalad is the Mayor of Cherng Talay.]
The judge, in a third face-off with the taxi-driver, placed a mobile telephone call to her father, a senior judge in Bangkok.
Within five minutes, the Surin beachfront was swarming with police who arrived in two cars. As a result of last night's confrontation, Phuket Police Commander Pekad Tantipong said he planned to take further action.
Last night's confrontation followed an extraordinary meeting on the Surin beachfront on Tuesday when the sisters and a brother of a fruit vendor who was beaten up on the beach last week faced off with two of the men accused of the assault.
After the meeting, Phuketwan talked to Suprarinya Jampada, 35, at neighboring Bang Tao beach, near the Babylon Beach Club. Khun Supraniya says her shop was destroyed by the local council.
She questioned why some local people were not allowed to run businesses on the beach while other businesses had illegally built structures on the sand, both at Bang Tao and Surin.
''There are many businesses much bigger than mine much closer to the beach,'' she said. ''Why are some people allowed to run these operations, while others are not?
''I know why. I don't pay money to the Orbortor [the local council]. I am sure these places also do not pay tax. I am happy to pay tax.''
She said her thatch and bamboo shop had been damaged three times before it was flattened, and each time she went to the local police. ''I had a call from the Superintendent of Cherng Talay police to say, 'Please cancel your case, because there isn't enough evidence to say who damaged your shop.' That makes me sad.''
Earlier at the meeting on Surin beachfront, the Director of Thalang District, Narunat Supattharapateep, heard members of the family of the fruit vendor who was beaten up last week on Surin beach accuse the proprietor of Dab Restaurant of leading the attack.
''Can we still walk on the beach selling our fruit?'' one family member asked. The conversation became quite heated.
Khun Pradab said: ''You have to ask the orbortor because I have to pay tax to the orbortor.''
A family member: ''Where is the tax bill? Please show us how much you pay. You can't show us, because it's under the table.''
Another of the family said: ''Who will guarantee our protection on the beach? Tourists and Thais are attacked almost every day, but no-one can help.''
Director Narunat said the 101 rai of the old golf course behind Surin beach remained public space.
''All buildings alongside here are outside the law,'' he said. ''The law says it is my role and the role of the Cherng Talay orbortor to manage the beach. We cannot make the law work 100 percent, and it's public land, so everybody is entitled to sell on the beach.''
At the end of the meeting, Khun Pradab invited the director and his entourage to stay for dinner.
Officials who joined the meeting and stayed for dinner also looked at smelly, garbage-strewn parts of the area immediately behind Surin beach.
A recently-published report by Thailand's Pollution Control Department surveyed 14 Phuket beaches and found that local authorities were not adequately protecting against encroachment or environmental hazards.
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I will just never eat in this restaurant, disgusting.
Posted by Jean-Paul Patrick on January 13, 2011 13:15