PHUKET: Some of Phuket's best beaches are ''under attack'' by business investors with support from powerful politicians, a meeting heard yesterday.

Safety concerns, prevention of rip-offs and the need to make tourists' experience on Phuket beaches as pleasant as possible this high season were highlighted at the meeting.

Court action against law-breakers could take 20 years for a result. During that time, the law-breakers maximised their takings, said the Senior Officer for Phuket's Thalang District, Udom Siriprukpong.

The gathering yesterday brought together for the first time the local administrators who oversee Phuket's prime attractions - its beaches.

A precedent-setting move, it was aimed at maximising returns to Thailand from tourism, said Vice Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada, who chaired the meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall in Phuket City.

Each of Phuket's key beach needs a person responsible for its management. A list of problems and a data base of information is to be provided when participants meet again next week.

The Chief of Phuket's Marine Office 5, Phuripat Theerakulpisut, is expected to join the next meeting to provide information about Phuket's jet-skis, speedboats and parasailers.

Mai Khao leader Wiroj Manajid said all resorts in the area along Mai Khao beach encouraged fireworks and sky lanterns for large and small celebrations including birthdays and weddings.

''We are concerned that one day a sky lantern will fall into a fuel tank at Phuket International Airport and we will have a disaster,'' he said.

Because resorts along the Mai Khao coast encouraged that kind of noise and insisted on lighting up large areas of the coast at night, the traditional culture of ''looking for turtles'' had been destroyed, he said.

''There was a time when everybody in Mai Khao wouild take part,'' he said. ''For generations it was part of living in Mai Khao to go out to look for signs of leatherbacks and other turtles that would nest along the beach.

''The resorts have put an end to that wonderful custom where we stayed in touch with nature.''

Patong's problems were well and truly past the stage of worrying about nesting turtles, said the Patong spokesperson.

''There is now no space for tourist to park along beach road in Patong,'' the meeting was told. ''Every available space has been taken over by hirers looking for takers for their motorcycles or other vehicles.''

As for the beach, the Patong representative said, ''it's a free-for-all for anyone to sell any kind of item that they like.''

Tourists complain, but there's never any action.

Rawai's representative said the focus was on an illegal resort on the island of Racha, where the illegality had been exposed but nothing had been done to stop construction.

More serious problems are expected to emerge at next week'as meeting.

Phuketwan believes that only the creation of a Phuket Beach Authority with real powers and with the Royal THai Navy's involvement in beach patrols has a chance of working.

With income from beach activities going towards management and maintenance, Phuket's beaches stand a chance of surviving for future generations.