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Vendors meet the Interior Minister to discuss business on tsunami day

UPDATE Phuket Beach Vendors Protest at Tsunami Memorial on Boxing Day

Thursday, December 25, 2014
UPDATING All Day, Every Day

PATONG vendors were waiting from 7am on Boxing Day at the Nam Khem memorial north of Phuket to confront the Interior Minister on the most solemn day of mourning for the Andaman coast tsunami victims from all over the world.

Original Report

PHUKET: A group of about 30 unhappy beach vendors aim to meet Thailand's Interior Minister north of Phuket tomorrow - at a sacred tsunami memorial in a village where about 850 people died 10 years ago to the day.

The opportunistic vendors from the holiday hub of Patong on Phuket's west coast hope to make their case for returning to the beaches to the minister at the tsunami memorial in the village of Nam Khem.

Although the vendors intend to meet Interior Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan - who also happens to be Deputy Prime Minister - at a time that does not disrupt the solemn memorial services, their choice of a date and meeting place is questionable.

Sunbeds, umbrellas and vendors were cleared from all of Phuket's popular beaches after the military took charge in Thailand on May 22.

Since then, the vendors, many of whom had been profiting from use of Thailand's public beaches for years, have been lobbying to restore their illicit businesses and income.

According to police investigators, the richest among them can afford large houses, expensive cars and holidays in Europe.

At the same time as vendors and sunbed hirers were banned from beaches including Patong, Kamala, Surin, Karon, Kata, Nai Yang and Nai Harn, the more dangerous jet-skis and parasailers were allowed to continue.

On Patong, Phuket's best-known tourists beach, the jet-skis and parasailers - a constant danger to swimmers - have even been granted more space and given priority over swimmers with the creation of special zones for the machines.

Meanwhile, many tourists say they enjoy the beaches without the sunbeds, and with vendors forced to keep constantly moving.

The plan by about 30 vendors to meet the Interior Minister on a day of national and international mourning may turn public opinion against them even further.

Unfortunately the Patong Council and its Mayor rely on the votes of local residents and the vendors are mostly resident voters. As a result, the views of tourists and Phuket's honorary consuls, who represent the visitors, have been largely ignored.

It's ironic that the Patong vendors should choose to try to meet with a senior government administrator on a tsunami-related occasion.

It was the big wave in 2004 that first cleared all businesses from the sands on Phuket's west coast. Authorities in 2005 ignored suggestions that it was time to create a ''New Phuket'' and instead let commerce return.

Although much of the identification of the 5400 bodies was done on Phuket by international teams, there were people in the tourism industry on the holiday island who wanted the tsunami forgotten as soon as possible.

Months after the identification process began, several hundred remaining bodies were trucked off Phuket in the dead of night, accompanied by a Tourist Police escort, because resort owners thought having the bodies there was a bad image for the island.

Sadly, the tsunami of 2004 was followed on Phuket by a wave of greed and self-interest. That wave has yet to recede.

Comments

Comments have been disabled for this article.

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AND - do these vendors actually expect sympathy, understanding, consideration when - they clearly show that they have TOTALLY NO - ZERO - respect for others as shown in "attempting" to push a Minister for their cause at such a sad memorial event.

These Vendors are a severe disgrace for Thailand - shame and- shame- on ANYONE who support or - who is willing to accept and condone such a behavior by these vendors !!

SHAME ON ANY SUCH PERSON !

John

Posted by John on December 25, 2014 21:56

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On what should be a day of reflection and remembrance, these vendors only reinforce the notion they are selfish and only think of their own interests.

It was their own greed that led them to being booted off the beaches. Everybody in Phuket is only concerned about getting rich quick. This had led to all the problems currently afflicting Phuket.

They had their chance to run things in a sustainable way but the usual greed and corruption took hold as usual. So now everyone loses out. What can you say?

Posted by Arun Muruga on December 25, 2014 22:18

Editor Comment:

You can say: ''Merry Christmas, bastards.''

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Shameless !

Difficult to imagine a more insensitive and disrespectful way to relay their message.

I cannot find words strong enough to convey my disgust at this action but if they go ahead with it, I'm sure the international media will.

Posted by Herbert on December 25, 2014 22:44

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My god - you really cannot make this stuff up

I am rarely speechless but this has got me.

I hope news teams such as BBC and CNN pick this up and run with it globally.

The only words I can think of are unrepeatable !

Posted by Amazing Thailand on December 26, 2014 01:32

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How disrespectful......better umbrella's than jetski's & parasailing....allthough the ppl running those operations also have the umbrellas ,so no wonder we are seeing an increase of this scourge on the beaches.......

Posted by surf starved katoeyy on December 26, 2014 06:26

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I am speechless about this planned action of the Phuket vendors. However, since Mayors, Police, and other 'Authorities' in many cases are neighbours of the beach vendors, I do not understand why they not told the vendors on forehand not to disturb the Memorial service, and have more selfrespect.

Posted by Kurt on December 26, 2014 07:06

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I thought I read recently that the gov't recently granted permits to allow a certain number of vendors to work in some kind of rotating shift...so if true..what's with the protests?

Posted by sky on December 26, 2014 07:22

Editor Comment:

The vendors want more than 10 percent of the beach - and many people hope that New Year concept does not go ahead. It breaches the law. No sunbeds, though, just umbrellas allowed.

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7 months of whinging instead of finding new work - no sympathy for them whatsoever.

Posted by Mister Ree on December 26, 2014 09:54

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Today I was offered to rent a folding chair on Patong beach near loma park for 100 baht, The woman renting the chairs had many and was quite open about it.

Posted by Dobby on December 26, 2014 12:29

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Fantastic last paragraph.

"Sadly, the tsunami of 2004 was followed on Phuket by a wave of greed and self-interest. That wave has yet to recede."

Sums it up perfectly.

Posted by Duncan on December 26, 2014 15:19

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I look yestday on the naiharn beach because we want go for a walk but it's a mest everywhere mats and umbrellas till into the see. a lot of distbin Please give us back the sunbeds and parasols who were on 3 rows and where you have place to walk without you step on the plaids or towels .

Posted by malena on December 26, 2014 15:31

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I can not believe that there are no sunbeds on the beaches ,I will not come back to Phuket and will also tell my friends .Sorry I find it hard to sit on the sand with no shade what the hell is going on.!!!!!

Posted by debbie on December 27, 2014 23:25

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i can't believe they have taken the beds and vendors off the beach.everyone I know likes to rent a bed and umbrella and have a cold beer on the beach.least you get to mingle with the locals and creates a bit of atmosphere.p*** the jet skis off they the ones trying to rip tourists off for little scratches ect

Posted by Craig on January 3, 2015 18:13


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