PHUKET: A group of German friends are threatening to abandon their regular holidays and cost Phuket millions of baht unless police are able to stop noisy fireworks along Phuket's famous Patong beach.
Patong police superintendent Colonel Arayapan Pukbuakao said today that dealing with Patong's illegal fireworks was ''more difficult than arresting a murderer'' because it was so hard to catch perpetrators in the act.
Skyrockets and exploding crackers are a worsening problem at Phuket's most popular beaches where some tourists pay for the noise and the showers of sparks while others want the beaches to remain natural and prefer their holidays to be restful.
The German man wrote in his letter to the colonel that he and his friends stayed in Patong for three months of the year, spending a total of about 12 million baht.
''Now, [for the] first time in all these years, we are discussing not to come to Patong anymore, we have alternatives in Cambodia and Vietnam.
''Every night is a nightmare, from midnight to 5 o'clock in the morning people fire noisy fireworks along the beach, we cannot sleep. This noise is so strong, even the windows are vibrating! And every night!
''We found even two empty fireworks and rockets in the ninth floor balkony!!! What a danger for fire!''
The letter from the Germans is the latest manifestation of the privatisation of Phuket's public beaches. This high season dance party operators, mobile restaurants and the fireworks sellers are cashing in at night in the same way that illegal resort bars, vendors and jet-ski operators rake in money during the day.
Unless Yingluck Shinawatra's national government can save the beaches from privatisation, Phuket's future as a tourism destination will be plunged into jeopardy.
The misuse and abuse of Phuket's beaches is expected to be high on the list for discussion when the Prime Minister and her Cabinet hold a session on Phuket next month.
If the government introduced a single authority to control all of Phuket's beaches - as Phuketwan has proposed - activities on the sands could be properly regulated and the revenue could go towards protecting and maintaining the beaches, not into the corrupt pockets of local officials and money-grubbers.
At present, the private profiteers are ruining it for everyone.
Some local officials admit to Phuketwan that they are powerless to prevent the despoilation because the fact that the beaches are public is misinterpreted as meaning the sands are ''for all of us to do whatever we like.''
The letter from the German group is representative of a growing band of regular Phuket visitors who are now looking at alternatives - and unless action is taken, these regular tourists won't be coming back.
''We see Thai people during the night, selling these fireworks!'' the German man's letter continues.
The letter says the sellers operate from specific points on Patong beach that he lists and adds: ''Maybe you should catch the wholesaler!''
But Colonel Arayapan said that the skyrocket and cracker salespeople often hid their wares in the sand from police beach patrols.
Where once police were able to fine sellers immediately, offenders now have to formally charged in court, he said. The fines of 2000 baht are apparently not enough to stop the noise.
Other complaints about fireworks and noise have been made in Kata, Karon and Surin. Sometimes, locals set off the crackers for their own enjoyment.
''We can understand when crackers and fireworks are a part of Phuket festivals, but do they really need to be set off every night?'' a frustrated resort owner told Phuketwan.
The letter from the German group to the colonel says: ''We are asking you to help all this (money to Phuket bringing) tourists to enjoy their vacation, to help the tourist industry in Patong!''
The Germans say they will take their complaints to Facebook and TripAdvisor and notify the European media of their unhappiness unless the problem is solved quickly.
Patong police superintendent Colonel Arayapan Pukbuakao said today that dealing with Patong's illegal fireworks was ''more difficult than arresting a murderer'' because it was so hard to catch perpetrators in the act.
Skyrockets and exploding crackers are a worsening problem at Phuket's most popular beaches where some tourists pay for the noise and the showers of sparks while others want the beaches to remain natural and prefer their holidays to be restful.
The German man wrote in his letter to the colonel that he and his friends stayed in Patong for three months of the year, spending a total of about 12 million baht.
''Now, [for the] first time in all these years, we are discussing not to come to Patong anymore, we have alternatives in Cambodia and Vietnam.
''Every night is a nightmare, from midnight to 5 o'clock in the morning people fire noisy fireworks along the beach, we cannot sleep. This noise is so strong, even the windows are vibrating! And every night!
''We found even two empty fireworks and rockets in the ninth floor balkony!!! What a danger for fire!''
The letter from the Germans is the latest manifestation of the privatisation of Phuket's public beaches. This high season dance party operators, mobile restaurants and the fireworks sellers are cashing in at night in the same way that illegal resort bars, vendors and jet-ski operators rake in money during the day.
Unless Yingluck Shinawatra's national government can save the beaches from privatisation, Phuket's future as a tourism destination will be plunged into jeopardy.
The misuse and abuse of Phuket's beaches is expected to be high on the list for discussion when the Prime Minister and her Cabinet hold a session on Phuket next month.
If the government introduced a single authority to control all of Phuket's beaches - as Phuketwan has proposed - activities on the sands could be properly regulated and the revenue could go towards protecting and maintaining the beaches, not into the corrupt pockets of local officials and money-grubbers.
At present, the private profiteers are ruining it for everyone.
Some local officials admit to Phuketwan that they are powerless to prevent the despoilation because the fact that the beaches are public is misinterpreted as meaning the sands are ''for all of us to do whatever we like.''
The letter from the German group is representative of a growing band of regular Phuket visitors who are now looking at alternatives - and unless action is taken, these regular tourists won't be coming back.
''We see Thai people during the night, selling these fireworks!'' the German man's letter continues.
The letter says the sellers operate from specific points on Patong beach that he lists and adds: ''Maybe you should catch the wholesaler!''
But Colonel Arayapan said that the skyrocket and cracker salespeople often hid their wares in the sand from police beach patrols.
Where once police were able to fine sellers immediately, offenders now have to formally charged in court, he said. The fines of 2000 baht are apparently not enough to stop the noise.
Other complaints about fireworks and noise have been made in Kata, Karon and Surin. Sometimes, locals set off the crackers for their own enjoyment.
''We can understand when crackers and fireworks are a part of Phuket festivals, but do they really need to be set off every night?'' a frustrated resort owner told Phuketwan.
The letter from the German group to the colonel says: ''We are asking you to help all this (money to Phuket bringing) tourists to enjoy their vacation, to help the tourist industry in Patong!''
The Germans say they will take their complaints to Facebook and TripAdvisor and notify the European media of their unhappiness unless the problem is solved quickly.
Many many complaints about it in Kata Beach and other places. Just look at Tripadvisor. Is it really that hard to CATCh the people SELLING them?
A crackdown every so often would be a good deterrent.
Posted by Vfaye on February 15, 2012 11:55