PHUKET: Signs went up yesterday warning Chinese tourists not to wash their feet in hand-basins at public toilets on the Thai holiday island of Phi Phi.
Soon after, the first tourist was fined 1000 baht for disobeying the rule.
The foot-pas fuss represents just the tippy-toe of the huge issue of whether Chinese tourism is good for Thailand.
Every country where Chinese visit faces issues of behavior. Sadly, Mao's Little Red Book never did tell its adherents how to travel well.
While Phuket continues to shrug off tourists from Europe because of strange and illogical policies on the island's beaches, the huge wave of Chinese expected to replace the Scandinavians, the Germans and the Dutch is now beginning to concern holiday resort owners.
Almost every resort manager on Phuket will have a story about Chinese travellers.
''Oh yes,'' said one today, preferring to remain anonymous for obvious reasons.
''It's a pact with the devil to open the door to those Chinese who come from unsophisticated parts of the country.
''For a start, they will try to pack as many people into rooms as they can.
''I will never forget the group who turned up to breakfast at 6am each morning and stayed until breakfast ended at 10am, eating their way through everything.
''Then they would put some extra food in their pockets to take away.''
The Chinese are not noted for their gentle treatment of the environment, either.
Highly regarded Phuket resort veteran Wichit Na-Ranong, owner of the Indigo Pearl at Nai Yang, recently told the governor and others at a tourism seminar that Phuket must decide carefully what kind of a future it wants.
And that means picking tourists with care.
Back in 2011, Khun Wichit said publicly what everyone was thinking: that Phuket's tourism industry was being destroyed by allowing the beaches to be privatised.
Eventually, the Army reacted and cleared the beaches. Local administrators should keep the beaches clear, but they seem unable to resist the urge to ban all chairs but permit a little business.
Earlier this month, Khun Wichit's sage-like message was different, and specifically about Chinese tourism.
''If tourists come and destroy the environment while they are here, are they tourists that Phuket wants?'' he asked the audience, which included the governor.
''If tourists come who are noisy and badly behaved, are they tourists that Phuket wants?
''It really is time for Phuket to set straight what kind of a future it chooses to have, and to make sure that the tourists who are being invited to come here fit in with that future.''
The Q question about ''quality'' tourists is yet another Phuket issue that has been put aside as being too hard by the island's harried administrators.
Whether Phuket wishes to draw jet-ski and parasail riders or people who leave only their footprints in the sand remains the big, unanswered Q question.
The neighboring provinces of Krabi and Phang Nga have considered the issue and made wise, environmentally-friendly decisions.
Keep the sands clear of commerce. Ban all the jet-skis and parasailers. Allow beach chairs and BYO umbrellas. Simple.
Putting feet in hand-basins is a metaphor for Phuket, Phi Phi and the Andaman region: one destination doesn't fit all.
You have the freedom to choose your friends. It's about time Phuket chose its friends and its future more carefully.
Soon after, the first tourist was fined 1000 baht for disobeying the rule.
The foot-pas fuss represents just the tippy-toe of the huge issue of whether Chinese tourism is good for Thailand.
Every country where Chinese visit faces issues of behavior. Sadly, Mao's Little Red Book never did tell its adherents how to travel well.
While Phuket continues to shrug off tourists from Europe because of strange and illogical policies on the island's beaches, the huge wave of Chinese expected to replace the Scandinavians, the Germans and the Dutch is now beginning to concern holiday resort owners.
Almost every resort manager on Phuket will have a story about Chinese travellers.
''Oh yes,'' said one today, preferring to remain anonymous for obvious reasons.
''It's a pact with the devil to open the door to those Chinese who come from unsophisticated parts of the country.
''For a start, they will try to pack as many people into rooms as they can.
''I will never forget the group who turned up to breakfast at 6am each morning and stayed until breakfast ended at 10am, eating their way through everything.
''Then they would put some extra food in their pockets to take away.''
The Chinese are not noted for their gentle treatment of the environment, either.
Highly regarded Phuket resort veteran Wichit Na-Ranong, owner of the Indigo Pearl at Nai Yang, recently told the governor and others at a tourism seminar that Phuket must decide carefully what kind of a future it wants.
And that means picking tourists with care.
Back in 2011, Khun Wichit said publicly what everyone was thinking: that Phuket's tourism industry was being destroyed by allowing the beaches to be privatised.
Eventually, the Army reacted and cleared the beaches. Local administrators should keep the beaches clear, but they seem unable to resist the urge to ban all chairs but permit a little business.
Earlier this month, Khun Wichit's sage-like message was different, and specifically about Chinese tourism.
''If tourists come and destroy the environment while they are here, are they tourists that Phuket wants?'' he asked the audience, which included the governor.
''If tourists come who are noisy and badly behaved, are they tourists that Phuket wants?
''It really is time for Phuket to set straight what kind of a future it chooses to have, and to make sure that the tourists who are being invited to come here fit in with that future.''
The Q question about ''quality'' tourists is yet another Phuket issue that has been put aside as being too hard by the island's harried administrators.
Whether Phuket wishes to draw jet-ski and parasail riders or people who leave only their footprints in the sand remains the big, unanswered Q question.
The neighboring provinces of Krabi and Phang Nga have considered the issue and made wise, environmentally-friendly decisions.
Keep the sands clear of commerce. Ban all the jet-skis and parasailers. Allow beach chairs and BYO umbrellas. Simple.
Putting feet in hand-basins is a metaphor for Phuket, Phi Phi and the Andaman region: one destination doesn't fit all.
You have the freedom to choose your friends. It's about time Phuket chose its friends and its future more carefully.
My sentiments exactly. Well said PW. Now if only the Gov would heed these sage words.
Posted by Scudman on March 14, 2015 08:45