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PHUKET: About 200 beach workers from Phuket protested today near the offices of the Prime Minister in Bangkok, carrying signs such as: ''We are not the mafia.''
The protest in Thailand's capital came as the holiday island's beach district mayors decided on Phuket to allow the Governor to have control of the beaches and rules on the beaches.
Four buses of beach workers left from Patong and Karon beaches on Phuket's holiday west coast yesterday. Phuketwan understands the group were advised to take off gold rings and necklaces before their demonstration.
A protest letter from the demonstrators, handed to a senior official in the PM's office, blamed Governor Nisit Jansomwong for Phuket's problems on the beaches.
Last year, soon after the military took control in Thailand, the Army and the Navy combined with local authorities to clear Phuket's beaches of commercial activities. Illegal restaurants and beach clubs were bulldozed.
In a move aimed at compromise, the governor decided to restore hire umbrellas and services to 10 percent of each of Phuket's famous beaches - Patong, Karon, Kamala, Kata, Nai Harn, Surin, Nai Yang and Nai Thon.
However, the compromise appears to have alienated both those who wanted the sands kept as natural as possible and the former beach workers involved in today's protest.
''Give the happiness back to Patong,'' read one sign. ''Phuket people get a lot of trouble. Please give tourism back'' read another.
The letter to the PM was more direct, blaming the governor for not doing his research before making decisions about the tourist province.
''He took the chairs away from the beaches yet allows only mats and umbrellas there now,'' the letter said.
Indeed, people on both sides of the debate are puzzled as to how the governor's ''10 percent zone'' can allow umbrellas and mats, but not the sunbeds on which the mats used to sit.
Tourists have also become angry after being told that they will soon be arrested and fined for bringing their own beach chairs.
In seeking a compromise on Thailand's public beaches between commerce and nature, the governor appears to have sacrificed the vision that could have restored the island to what it was like 25 years ago.
With the jet-skis now occupying most of the seafront at Patong and in prime positions at several other key beaches, an opportunity to restore nature and sanity appears to have been lost.
Had commercial activity been banished entirely and not encouraged by the governor's ''10 percent zone'' compromise, Phuket might have by next high season had good reason to be hopeful of its new, natural future. . . except for those pesky jet-skis.
Instead, greed and commerce threatens to return and the beaches of Phuket remain in a chaotic state.
The mayors told a vice governor at Phuket Provincial Hall today that they were prepared to follow the governor's new rules and would try to enforce the 10 percent solution.
However, they warned, it was difficult and did not appear to be growing any easier. The governor would be the one making pronouncements, they said, not them.
The governor is due to attend the ITB Berlin travel fair in Europe later this week and is likely to hear criticism of what's happened on Phuket from agencies who are losing customers.
Phuketwan's view is that the beaches should have been kept completely cleared, with swimmers allowed to bring their own umbrellas and chairs, and the jet-skis also banished from Phuket as they already are in the neighboring provinces of Krabi and Phang Nga.
The protest in Thailand's capital came as the holiday island's beach district mayors decided on Phuket to allow the Governor to have control of the beaches and rules on the beaches.
Four buses of beach workers left from Patong and Karon beaches on Phuket's holiday west coast yesterday. Phuketwan understands the group were advised to take off gold rings and necklaces before their demonstration.
A protest letter from the demonstrators, handed to a senior official in the PM's office, blamed Governor Nisit Jansomwong for Phuket's problems on the beaches.
Last year, soon after the military took control in Thailand, the Army and the Navy combined with local authorities to clear Phuket's beaches of commercial activities. Illegal restaurants and beach clubs were bulldozed.
In a move aimed at compromise, the governor decided to restore hire umbrellas and services to 10 percent of each of Phuket's famous beaches - Patong, Karon, Kamala, Kata, Nai Harn, Surin, Nai Yang and Nai Thon.
However, the compromise appears to have alienated both those who wanted the sands kept as natural as possible and the former beach workers involved in today's protest.
''Give the happiness back to Patong,'' read one sign. ''Phuket people get a lot of trouble. Please give tourism back'' read another.
The letter to the PM was more direct, blaming the governor for not doing his research before making decisions about the tourist province.
''He took the chairs away from the beaches yet allows only mats and umbrellas there now,'' the letter said.
Indeed, people on both sides of the debate are puzzled as to how the governor's ''10 percent zone'' can allow umbrellas and mats, but not the sunbeds on which the mats used to sit.
Tourists have also become angry after being told that they will soon be arrested and fined for bringing their own beach chairs.
In seeking a compromise on Thailand's public beaches between commerce and nature, the governor appears to have sacrificed the vision that could have restored the island to what it was like 25 years ago.
With the jet-skis now occupying most of the seafront at Patong and in prime positions at several other key beaches, an opportunity to restore nature and sanity appears to have been lost.
Had commercial activity been banished entirely and not encouraged by the governor's ''10 percent zone'' compromise, Phuket might have by next high season had good reason to be hopeful of its new, natural future. . . except for those pesky jet-skis.
Instead, greed and commerce threatens to return and the beaches of Phuket remain in a chaotic state.
The mayors told a vice governor at Phuket Provincial Hall today that they were prepared to follow the governor's new rules and would try to enforce the 10 percent solution.
However, they warned, it was difficult and did not appear to be growing any easier. The governor would be the one making pronouncements, they said, not them.
The governor is due to attend the ITB Berlin travel fair in Europe later this week and is likely to hear criticism of what's happened on Phuket from agencies who are losing customers.
Phuketwan's view is that the beaches should have been kept completely cleared, with swimmers allowed to bring their own umbrellas and chairs, and the jet-skis also banished from Phuket as they already are in the neighboring provinces of Krabi and Phang Nga.
Bring back the beds. Bring back the beds. Save the poor local people. They have nothing. Poor locals are so hard done by. Save them great leader.
Posted by Sunbed Man on March 3, 2015 11:16