PHUKET: Researchers analysing Phuket's all-important beaches have been granted one more month to compile a document that probably won't provide all the answers that authorities are seeking.
What island officials want are simple, straightforward solutions that satisfy all the stakeholders. But Phuket's beaches are more complicated than that.
And some topics remain taboo.
While commerce is officially banned from all beaches, except in the 10 percent space ordained by the governor, scores of jet-skis have been allowed to take over large chunks of the holiday island's premium swimming beach, Patong.
And the noisy, polluting machines were not mentioned at all in today's three-hour meeting.
Kiteboards, on the other hand, which are not noisy or polluting, are banned from Phuket's beaches. Operators of a kiteboard business at Nai Thon were recently told to leave the beach, the gathering heard.
Today's meeting was significant with Governor Nisit Jansomwong and all three vice governors present at Phuket Provincial Hall, together with about 100 local officials and beach stakeholders.
The level of awareness of Phuket's beaches and what happens on them was highlighted when all three vice governors said they did not know what a kiteboard was or how it worked.
They were shown a video on a mobile telephone.
It is difficult not to form the impression that many of the people who are now making vital decisions about Phuket's beaches do not visit the beaches often and have little understanding of ''beach culture.''
One of Phuket's honorary consuls pointed out a little while ago that the decision to ban sunbeds completely from all Phuket beaches was probably made by someone who did not realise that elderly Westerners, used all their lives to chairs, are unable to sit on a beach mat at sand level the way most Thais, whatever their age, can manage with relative ease.
Since the military took over in Thailand and cleared commerce from all the beaches in June last year, debates and sometimes arguments have continued about what should be done and whether the umbrellas and sunbeds should be allowed to return.
There will be no serious problems now until November, when the high season comes and beachlovers return in large numbers.
Whatever problems have not been sorted by then will become acute, especially if the beachlovers do not return in large numbers.
The man who today won a month's extension is Prince of Songhkla University lecturer and researcher Pun Tongchumnum.
While he was hesitant to say too much conclusively at this stage, he did say that 470 beach tourists had been questioned.
They were, apparently, mostly keen on safety as an issue. Sunbeds and umbrellas were considered important, jet-skis and speedboat parasailers less important.
The researchers talked to the tourists on arrival and on departure. The messages delivered on departure were reportedly not encouraging.
Governor Nisit made the point that he wanted the 10 percent zoning and tourism to sit contendedly alongside each other, without conflict.
But as everyone who has spent any time on Patong beach knows, that's easier said than done.
Angering and alienating tourists has been the only clear result of the dramatic changes on Phuket's beaches.
A full commitment to a more natural approach could work, but the authorities instead seem determined to impose a compromise and regimentation of what tourists can and cannot do that local officials will only enforce with the greatest reluctance.
Nobody want to take beach chairs from beneath elderly tourists' bums.
The only ones with smiles on their faces so far are the jet-ski operators and the director of Phuket's Marine Office 5. Even those smiles are not likely to last long if beachloving tourists decide not to return from November.
What island officials want are simple, straightforward solutions that satisfy all the stakeholders. But Phuket's beaches are more complicated than that.
And some topics remain taboo.
While commerce is officially banned from all beaches, except in the 10 percent space ordained by the governor, scores of jet-skis have been allowed to take over large chunks of the holiday island's premium swimming beach, Patong.
And the noisy, polluting machines were not mentioned at all in today's three-hour meeting.
Kiteboards, on the other hand, which are not noisy or polluting, are banned from Phuket's beaches. Operators of a kiteboard business at Nai Thon were recently told to leave the beach, the gathering heard.
Today's meeting was significant with Governor Nisit Jansomwong and all three vice governors present at Phuket Provincial Hall, together with about 100 local officials and beach stakeholders.
The level of awareness of Phuket's beaches and what happens on them was highlighted when all three vice governors said they did not know what a kiteboard was or how it worked.
They were shown a video on a mobile telephone.
It is difficult not to form the impression that many of the people who are now making vital decisions about Phuket's beaches do not visit the beaches often and have little understanding of ''beach culture.''
One of Phuket's honorary consuls pointed out a little while ago that the decision to ban sunbeds completely from all Phuket beaches was probably made by someone who did not realise that elderly Westerners, used all their lives to chairs, are unable to sit on a beach mat at sand level the way most Thais, whatever their age, can manage with relative ease.
Since the military took over in Thailand and cleared commerce from all the beaches in June last year, debates and sometimes arguments have continued about what should be done and whether the umbrellas and sunbeds should be allowed to return.
There will be no serious problems now until November, when the high season comes and beachlovers return in large numbers.
Whatever problems have not been sorted by then will become acute, especially if the beachlovers do not return in large numbers.
The man who today won a month's extension is Prince of Songhkla University lecturer and researcher Pun Tongchumnum.
While he was hesitant to say too much conclusively at this stage, he did say that 470 beach tourists had been questioned.
They were, apparently, mostly keen on safety as an issue. Sunbeds and umbrellas were considered important, jet-skis and speedboat parasailers less important.
The researchers talked to the tourists on arrival and on departure. The messages delivered on departure were reportedly not encouraging.
Governor Nisit made the point that he wanted the 10 percent zoning and tourism to sit contendedly alongside each other, without conflict.
But as everyone who has spent any time on Patong beach knows, that's easier said than done.
Angering and alienating tourists has been the only clear result of the dramatic changes on Phuket's beaches.
A full commitment to a more natural approach could work, but the authorities instead seem determined to impose a compromise and regimentation of what tourists can and cannot do that local officials will only enforce with the greatest reluctance.
Nobody want to take beach chairs from beneath elderly tourists' bums.
The only ones with smiles on their faces so far are the jet-ski operators and the director of Phuket's Marine Office 5. Even those smiles are not likely to last long if beachloving tourists decide not to return from November.
"...... when the high season comes and beachlovers return in large numbers."
Call me doomsayer, but I don't think so.
Posted by sascha on May 26, 2015 17:54