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The traditional source of water at Rawai that is no more

UPDATE Phuket Street Protest: Deal Struck on Water Supply

Friday, October 22, 2010
UPDATE: Photo Album Above

A deal was struck in talks this afternoon that allows the sea gypsies to get water free for a month from the local Rawai council. The council meanwhile will connect the village to the mains supply, and the sea gypsies will start paying from supplies at the end of a month.

Original Report

ABOUT 500 locals were blockading Phuket's Rawai Pier intersection in a protest over water supplies today.

Phuketwan was told that the demonstration began about 9am - the first major sign of the effects of lack of water supplies and the social consequences.

Bystanders said that the increasing number of resorts and businesses in the area had forced up the price of water.

But what triggered the dispute was the filling in of a water well that had been the traditional supply for the sea gypsy village at Rawai.

The owner of the land has decided to develop the land, so the well was filled in. The sea gypsies, celebrating their annual sea festival today, gathered in numbers at the Rawai Pier intersection in protest.

During the morning, as often happens with street protests, the food began to cook and the canvas marquees went up.

Police asked for a settlement to be reached before 2pm, so they could clear the road.

Seven village elders were engaged in talks with a Vice Governor of Phuket, Niwit Aroonrat, Phuket Police Commander Major General Pekad Tantipong and local officials.
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Comments

Comments have been disabled for this article.

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Tourism brings tourists.. Tourists consume resources.. Price of resources rise.. Tourism provides jobs.. Jobs provide income.. Income pays for increased costs.

You can't have it both ways.. Tourists, as much as it seems desired, will not just get off the plane and leave their money at the airport and depart again.

You cannot have both a profitable tourist economy, without an effect on local pricing.

Posted by LivinLOS on October 22, 2010 11:43

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Point 1: LivinLOS - Those people not in the tourist industry and who have lived there all their lives just have to move out?

Point 2: The water business is as corrupt as many others. When I lived in Rawai, my water from Phuket Town would be cut off while 100 metres away the local water company would be filling up its tanker trucks from the same supply.

Posted by Mike Boyd on October 22, 2010 13:38

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When I lived in Rawai the well ran dry once, had to get small water tanker 500 or 1000 litres cannot remember but it was 300thb. Just had same here in Bangsaray 150 THB as mains water shut in for a couple of days, 100 percent more expensive in Rawai. I agree with Mike. Water supply just as corrupt as all the other services that you care to mention.

Posted by Aqua on October 22, 2010 14:17

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I loved this bit:
"But what triggered the dispute was the filling in of a water well that had been the traditional supply for the sea gypsy village at Rawai. The owner of the land has decided to develop the land, so the well was filled in"

I wonder if they had even asked the land owner to begin with? Or did they (Like a lot of people here) just wander onto his land and dig a hole.

Posted by Singha Gold on October 22, 2010 15:01

Editor Comment:

Perhaps the sea gypsies have a relationship with the land (and the surrounding sea) that goes back further than the land ownership? Perhaps ''owning'' the land isn't as important to them as treating it properly, and preserving its community benefits?

Even viewed through the prism of expat materialism - that everything must have ownership - having to pay for something that was previously free might cause justifiable annoyance.

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Even viewed through the prism of expat materialism - that everything must have ownership - having to pay for something that was previously free might cause justifiable annoyance.


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So the editor again trys to justing the selfishness of street protests??

Posted by Jimmy on October 22, 2010 16:28

Editor Comment:

Jimmy,
There are times when people take to the streets just about everywhere. History shows that some of those protests have been justified. Some of them have not. I try to avoid making sweeping judgements about processes, and about people. That would be unprofessional. Best to look at each case on its merits.

The reply that troubles you, incidentally, was purely a theoretical one in response to what I interpreted as a fairly narrow point of view. I haven't expressed any opinion either way about the justice of this particular street protest.

If you always took the view that 'those buggers are marching in the street again,' you would find yourself supporting the wrong side quite often.

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Its very simply!

If I own the right land legally i should be allowed to use the land following the law!!!

If sea-gypsies does not have enough water, it the governments/authorities fault!! (I feel sorry for them in this case, but they better protest at the local authority offices!!!!)

People had to understand what is right and what is wrong!

Posted by Mr. K on October 22, 2010 17:10

Editor Comment:

I don't know the whole story yet. Do you, Mr K? Did the owner of the land give the sea gypsies notice that he or she was ''turning off'' their water supply? Did he or she help them to make alternative arrangements? A village full of young children, old people . . . and suddenly, no water. Still, I guess you know all the facts? Does ownership and authority make it so easy to tell right from wrong?

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The sea gypsy's have lots of land that they could dig a well . BUT unfortunately none of them will give up one meter of land. MOB RULE AGAIN

Posted by lord Jim on October 22, 2010 19:34

Editor Comment:

Sure, Lord Jim. If it's in capitals, it must be right.

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Interested in the comment about mob rule. Wasn't this the sort of peaceful protest/civil disobedience that Ghandi practiced? The little voices in Thailand have very few choices other than this sort of protest, as they are not heard otherwise. I suppose the protest in Cherng Talay last year to get the police to arrest the suspect in a vicious stabbing was also Mob Rule. The accused was the son of an 'infuential person' if I remember correctly, so the police were not prepared to act until the civil action forced them to.

Posted by Mister ree on October 22, 2010 20:17

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Perhaps the sea gypsies have a relationship with the land (and the surrounding sea) that goes back further than the land ownership? Perhaps ''owning'' the land isn't as important to them as treating it properly, and preserving its community benefits?

Thanks editor, that's exactly how they see it. North American Indians are the same way. How can you own the land? Europeans came to America and took it from them. Same as has happened here in Phuket. Aren't we great, the superior beings. What a joke!

Posted by Capt Canada on October 22, 2010 22:14

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Capt Canada you should know better- they are no longer Indians and Eskimos but First Nation people and Inuuit. What ever happened to political correctness? Whoops- maybe that's why we're in Thailand now! 555555555

Posted by Mister ree on October 23, 2010 09:50

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The government doesn't give much to sea gypsies but calls on them when needed, such as the refloating of boats that sink. They do not get pro divers they call on the gypsies.... what to say ...

Posted by Nikki on October 24, 2010 06:53


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