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Lagoon, Carpark For Phuket's New Surin as Phuket's Old Surin is Bulldozed
By Chtuima Sidasathian Wednesday, September 3, 2014
PHUKET: Work has already begun on a new-look Surin beach shorefront landscape on Phuket as the old Surin beach continues to disappear.
Space for a lagoon in a corner of the park behind the beach is already being dug as part of a 30-million baht remake, Cherng Talay Mayor Ma-Ann Samran told Phuketwan tonight.
The plan includes space for a new 200-vehicle car park in front of the lagoon.
Meanwhile, down by the seaside, the controversial removal of restaurants and beach clubs continues.
In the first phase, which began in June soon after the military ordered all of Phuket's beaches to be cleared, restaurants and beach clubs on the seaward side of a shorefront path were bulldozed.
Now buildings on the other side of the path are coming down. Mayor Ma-Ann says that 18 of the restaurants and shops along the path remain illegal.
Demolitions will leave some of the original buildings, constructed with local government approval, standing. Other buildings that have been substantially modified will come down.
The result is likely to be a gap-toothed effect. Appeals to retain Surin's upmarket ambience - the shorefront had become popular after dark for its restaurants and beach clubs - appear to have failed.
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Comments
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Very nice if you want to make a tropical beach on the Andaman Sea look like an inner city green zone. That is hardly emphasizing the natural beauty of Surin.
Posted by
Soupdragon
on
September 4, 2014 06:09
Surely finish the first job at hand... clearing up before you start building something. There is an obsession with the need to build... natural open space trumps concrete with green bits around it anytime.
Any reason why someone in power can't resurrect the old royal 'golf course'? That would be a wonderful way at least to keep the area green and open, with minimal concrete.
Posted by
Duncan
on
September 4, 2014 07:47
We already have parking for a significant number of cars above the beach behind the old Indo Chine becah club. What we dont have is decent public toilets and showers. All these visitors have no where to eat and drink at the beach, no where to go to the toliet and no provision for rubbish bins for all the extra garbage from the self service 7/11. Please Phuketwan use your influence to bring in the military and save us from the enemy within.
Posted by
Pee in the park
on
September 4, 2014 07:51
Looks like Cancun or anywhere in the world , is it what Surin Resident wants ? No more umbrellas, no more chairs, now you have street vendors on the path renting mats , is it better ? Surin was for young partying crowed and older people looking to relax during the day. The older people are gone as they need a chair and an umbrella and the younger ones are gone as they need to party. Surin beach is going down the drain. The few taxes paying employers are closing and laying of staff !! The few remaining restaurant are trying to clean the beach in front of them, some parts are now just a dump, who should clean it. No toilets on the beach. What is the next step ? in a few years will they sale beach consignment ? umbrellas and chairs will be back ? a what cost and in which pocket?
Posted by
James
on
September 4, 2014 08:18
This is why the military should never run a country, they know war and orders, not civil matters involved in making a country successful. Just look at how much income is going to be lost due to all the beach clearance and how many people now without an income! Tourism in phuket will be at least halved by next high season. The only losers? Thai people! Well done the military for tackling taxi mafia and sunbeds, as that was a definite problem for tourists but there should have been a compromise in regard to beach businesses as tourists enjoy eating by the beach and having a drink. Who the hell wants a beach with nothing on it? There are already lots of beaches here with no restaurants etc but they are in majority empty all year round. Thousands of people in Phuket have now lost their livelihoods so how are they going to feed their families? Desperate people take desperate measures! Expect to see an increase of crime and drug dealing occurring as people just try to feed their families! With the military, their is no "grey" area, its all or nothing! More thought should have gone into this especially as Phuket is famed for being a tourist hotspot! If Phuket is not careful it will lose this and become a tourist 'blackspot'
Posted by
Mr Wolf
on
September 4, 2014 10:30
# Pee in the park and James, Have You ever been to Surin Beach? because there is a public toilet on the beach.
Posted by
Per Lundsgaard
on
September 4, 2014 11:45
The "Jewel of the Andaman" and most of the beaches do not have any public toilets, the toilets that are there you have to pay 5Baht or money for. Enough said really, billions of Baht in from Tourists how much back......showers like in Australia, wow that would be good.
Posted by
Feisty Farang
on
September 4, 2014 12:13
Who is naive enough to believe this awful 'inner city green space car park' was NOT in the planning stage more than just three months ago?
Posted by
jonty
on
September 4, 2014 14:22
@ Feisty Farang: I'll be happy to pay both 10 and even 20 Baht (No2) to use a toilet like the one at Surin. (When you have to go, you HAVE TO GO!) Even Tourists who don't much care about keeping the beach Clean and throw away all sorts of garbage need to go, sometime. If we all pay decent Money, say for the toilet, that would pay for staff caring for the toilet as well as someone to pick rubbish on the beach.
Posted by
Swede from Malmo
on
September 4, 2014 16:50
PER you are correct there is (meaning one toilet) for a strip of 1km is it enough ? Actualy there are more. Would you walk 5 minutes to use the toilets. What about clean showers. untill now everyone could use the restaurants toilets. Also the planning of that horrible parking and lay out was done last year. It was even published and distributed on the planning they even had restaurants on the beach.
Posted by
James
on
September 4, 2014 17:47
Terrible design and waste of space. Do they think this will attract tourists ? We already had plenty of parking space. The restaurants were an asset. Make a park out of it WITHOUT concrete and rent out a few spaces for vendors.
Posted by
arby
on
September 4, 2014 19:16
@ Mr Wolf: "Tourism in phuket will be at least halved by next high season."
We can but hope.
Posted by
Smithy
on
September 5, 2014 00:19
@ Swede From Malmo - try going to the Northern Beaches around Cairns, FNQ, Australia, clean toilets and fresh water showers on the beach with plunger auto off switches, even free BBQ cookers - yes for free. Ok we will leave the BBQ cookers out and yes Australia is a richer country, but what it shows is that the government realises that as Cairns is an international/Australian tourist area they want people to have a good time that way they are more likely to come back, it is called forward economic planning. Don't you think out of the billions of Baht the Thai government makes from tourists they can install some showers and toilets! Forward economic planning, money comes back, but here no, let the tourist walk miles to a hotel and ask humbly to use the toilet. Tourists do not like to do that! Even the larger beaches like Kata have one toilet at the far end that is filthy, you are given one sheet of toilet paper and have to pay 5Baht (if you remembered to bring 5Baht is your bikini. It is insulting. Invest in making tourists happy more chance of money will be made rather than letting them walk out of the toilet with a dirty bums. Tourists like clean bums. I also like a clean bum so take a toilet roll with me as the man gets upset if you ask for more than one piece of toilet paper.
Posted by
Feisty Farang
on
September 5, 2014 15:03
Editor Comment:
Only five baht? Most of the beachside toilets on Phuket charge 20 baht. So does the one on Rang Hill in Phuket City. Best learn to use a water cleaner.
Surin beach south side is becoming a dump. The road collapse, it is dangerous , especially at night, just enough space for a motor bike to drive, the trees are down. The parking the street vendors are back leaving trash all around. Funny when the army came, all vendors were gone !! It look like they are doing some constructions at the entrance of Surin Beach, is it a new road ?. Are the priorities mixed ? Surin beach is going from being one of the best beach to be the worst. Tourist season is around the corner. Is it the New Surin Beach Image, are we trying to ruin the last few Taxes Paying Business?
Posted by
James
on
September 5, 2014 15:48
Editor Comment:
You need to read PW more thoroughly. Our recent photo album on Surin showed the road falling away and this article explains that the dredging is for a lagoon.
@ Feisty Farang: Ok, point taken, but I would still pay 20 Baht for the toilet and a Clean beach. The Clean toilets and free showers will never happend at a beach on Phuket... Maybee when hell freezes over though...
Posted by
Swede from Malmo
on
September 5, 2014 17:22
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Very nice if you want to make a tropical beach on the Andaman Sea look like an inner city green zone. That is hardly emphasizing the natural beauty of Surin.
Posted by Soupdragon on September 4, 2014 06:09