PATONG police swooped on vendors in Soi Bangla last night, arresting a busload of people and taking them back to Kathu police station. Among them was one 76-year-old flower seller.
Her daughter works in a bar in Soi Bangla. She told Phuketwan that there wasn't enough income planting rice, and her daughter suggested she come south.
''This year, we've had no rain in Isarn,'' she said. ''We pay 4500 baht and there are five of us, sharing a room.''
She said it was her first visit to Phuket and she had only been on the island for a week.
Kathu Police Superintendent Colonel Arayapan Pukbuakao said there was another woman, even older, selling flowers on the street.
''It is disappointing to see old people selling like this,'' he said. ''It's a bad image for a tourist city.''
More than 30 people were arrested, including cigarette and toy salespeople. An umbrella saleswoman was packed into a van just as the rain began to fall.
A fine of 300 baht was the likely outcome for each of those arrested.
Patong a Contender for Tidy Tout Town AwardHer daughter works in a bar in Soi Bangla. She told Phuketwan that there wasn't enough income planting rice, and her daughter suggested she come south.
''This year, we've had no rain in Isarn,'' she said. ''We pay 4500 baht and there are five of us, sharing a room.''
She said it was her first visit to Phuket and she had only been on the island for a week.
Kathu Police Superintendent Colonel Arayapan Pukbuakao said there was another woman, even older, selling flowers on the street.
''It is disappointing to see old people selling like this,'' he said. ''It's a bad image for a tourist city.''
More than 30 people were arrested, including cigarette and toy salespeople. An umbrella saleswoman was packed into a van just as the rain began to fall.
A fine of 300 baht was the likely outcome for each of those arrested.
Latest Police say their attention to touts and ladyboy invaders has reduced aggressive approaches to tourists and petty crime in Soi Bangla and other bar and nightclub streets.
Patong a Contender for Tidy Tout Town Award
This is tricky. I do hope the efforts of the police are not misguided on this one.
Patong does need to clean its act up, but some of the street vendors add to the charm and are part of the fabric of the 'carnival' of Bangla. The strolling entertainers like the magicians, the guys selling the lit up flying toys etc add to the fun and spectacle.
The 76 year old flower seller is hardly a major nuisance. What else is she going to do at her age to make a living? Stopping her working today means she has to work harder tomorrow. I'd like to see the police cracking down on aggressive, man-handling, intimidating, law-breaking people. Like the katoeys, like the scratch-card people, like the tuk-tuk drivers, like the ping-pong show touts etc.
Stopping double parking and the use of parking areas for car/bike rental businesses would be a better use of police effort than picking on the flower sellers.
Posted by Mr Man on November 19, 2010 06:35