PHUKET: A stroll along the foreshore just before sunset at Surin yesterday evening probably wasn't the kind of treat it must have been once.

The weather wasn't great and the other people strolling along the promenade tended to be Army types in camouflage uniforms.

But it is the low season. And for a few days at least, beachside restaurants are more difficult to find.

Commerce is definitely taking a back seat these days to the coup command's message of harmony and reconciliation - in Phuket's case, not so much reconciliation between the Reds and the Yellows but between Commerce and Nature.

Surin certainly had a great vibe as the beach club destination for Phuket and it's highly likely that the buzz will continue this high season.

It's just that for the first time in years, the foreshore will be back where it belongs, in public hands.