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Clean, Green Army Machine Makes Sands Sweeter, But Not at Patong
By Chutima Sidasathian Sunday, July 27, 2014
PHUKET: Beaches in some parts of Phuket turned green in the most unusual way today as Army cadets swarmed across them to clean them properly after clearances removed illegal structures.
About 1800 cadets with Army volunteers and local council officials descended on Nai Harn, Surin, Kamala, Rawai and several smaller beaches to rake the sand free of sharp objects and remove unsightly large objects.
For some reason that has yet to be explained, Patong was unable to to give the green light to join today's green celebration.
At Patong, tourists appear to be adjusting to the lack of sunbeds and umbrellas.
So do vendors, who are now obliged to keep moving along the beach and can no longer maintain salas or stores to sell food, drink, massages, and all the other essentials of beach culture on Phuket.
The Army's Major General Somchai Ponatong said he hoped that community beach days would continue once a week or at least once a month at more Phuket beaches.
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Comments
Comments have been disabled for this article.
But tourists can bring chairs and umbrellas on the beach and remove them when they go away? This is the question that customers do in the agency.As for the "it seems that tourists will fit without chairs and umbrellas" you can check only the high season as the news of the beaches without comfort has spread and it does not seem that NOT LIKE. Many change destination. I think it will be a season with few tourists.Too bad. You may refuse the use of the beaches for a fee and limit the placement of chairs and umbrellas from 9.00 to 18.00
Posted by
gigitour
on
July 27, 2014 16:06
Great needed doing
Local expats on here can also do there bit and take an empty bag with them and bring a full one back
Posted by
Michael
on
July 27, 2014 17:02
Gigi I hardly think tourists will be leaving Phuket in droves due to a lack of beach chairs and umbrellas. Lets look big picture not little picture. The cleanup was a long time coming and it should be supported, not denigrated.
Posted by
Mister Ree
on
July 27, 2014 17:42
@gigitour
I think it will be a season with few tourists.Too bad.
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I think for Phuket it is very good, as tourism related infrastructure and tourism infrastructure management are out of capacity.
Moreover, tourism is a labour-intensive industry , that is over-heated and its share need to be downsized in Thailand, in order that the Kingdom could further with economical-development and finally leave so called "middle-income country" limbo.
Posted by
Sue
on
July 27, 2014 17:42
Thai navy cleans the beaches around Sattahip regularly when they get too polluted by plastic bags, bottles and other rubbish...somebody has to do it when the users of the beaches and passing fisher boats don't feel any responsibility towards nature.
Posted by
Sailor
on
July 27, 2014 18:03
It seems there is a business in renting beach umbrellas waiting in the wind!
Posted by
coxo
on
July 27, 2014 18:29
Leave " middle income country" limbo. Really, before you leave you have to get there first.
Posted by
Manowar
on
July 27, 2014 18:46
Went to Nai Harn this afternoon, the transformation is unbelievable, lets support all the guys who want to bring in this form of making Phuket a better place to be wm
Posted by
wm
on
July 27, 2014 19:14
@Manowar
"middle income trap" is a specific term for countries with GDP PPP per capita between 1,000 USD and 12,000 USD .
Thailand's 2013 is ca.9000 USD.
"Trap" is because in such coiuntries often as wages rise, its manufacturers often find themselves unable to compete in export markets with lower-cost producers elsewhere. Yet, they still find themselves behind the advanced economies in higher-value products.
That's a typical limbo where Thailand is trapped.
Posted by
Sue
on
July 28, 2014 05:43
Hands up those earning $2000 US and consider themselves to be middle income earners. For that sake what about those earning $9k pa.
All countries find it harder to compete as wages rise, not just Thailand.
Posted by
Manowar
on
July 28, 2014 08:39
Many years ago I was on Guam and went to Ritidan Point Beach, next to Andersen AFB.
When I was walking the beach, I started to collect rubbish and especially shards of broken glass.
When leaving the park, I stopped at the park rangers booth, looking for a rubbish bin.
The rangers were so taken by the small gesture that next time when I came there, they had bags attached to the booth with a sign asking people to help keep the beach clean and pick up any rubbish they found.
A very simple but effective way to influence the behavior and attitude of people.
Posted by
ThaiMike
on
July 28, 2014 08:48
Still waiting for the unsightly resort extension on the beach in Patong (pictured in another report of Phuket Wan) to be demolished...
Posted by
BeerChang
on
July 28, 2014 10:07
Why are these fine honorable young men being used to clean up this mess drag the beach people that have made illegal profits from these structures for years to the beach and make them clean it up.I would love to know why do they get to sit back and watch these fine young men work and sweat while they sit around bitching and blaming everyone but themselves for their current situation as for gigitour the days of this beach tat are over never mind times for loungers tourists will buy a matt and umbrella like they do around the world the lack of dross and scams on the beach will bring more tourists not less.If anything the knock on effects of the taxi jet ski and beach hustles is more likely the cause in a downturn coupled with if you hadn't noticed the worlds economic downturn get clued into the world outside Thailand read the news gigitour
Posted by
scunner
on
July 28, 2014 13:42
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But tourists can bring chairs and umbrellas on the beach and remove them when they go away? This is the question that customers do in the agency.As for the "it seems that tourists will fit without chairs and umbrellas" you can check only the high season as the news of the beaches without comfort has spread and it does not seem that NOT LIKE. Many change destination. I think it will be a season with few tourists.Too bad. You may refuse the use of the beaches for a fee and limit the placement of chairs and umbrellas from 9.00 to 18.00
Posted by gigitour on July 27, 2014 16:06