PHUKET: Authorities raided a Phuket beach today in search of illegal beach vendors and came away with mats, umbrellas and pillows for their trouble.
Cherng Talay Mayor Ma-Ann Samran led officials and police and a team of volunteers who descended on Surin beach, generally regarded as Phuket's five-star beach, from 9am.
The raiders nabbed 67 mats, 22 umbrellas and six pillows, but were unable to find anyone who claimed ownership of the beach equipment.
The gear was taken to Thalang Police Station, where owners may claim it and submit to charges.
Mayor Ma-Ann said early this month that it was his intention to make Surin as natural as possible and to dedicate the beach to HM The King and the Queen, who visited the beach and other parts of Phuket in the 1950s.
As the only beach in that special category, Surin will remain free from commerce. Some other ''virgin'' beaches will also be free from commerce but the popular west coast beaches are in the process of being fitted with ''10 percent zones'' where tourists will be able to hire mats and umbrellas and obtain food and drink.
Beach visitors may bring their own umbrellas and chairs and sit where they choose at all beaches, although they are likely to be ''invited'' into the ''10 percent zones.''
Representatives of jet-ski and parasail operators were told at another meeting that if the ''10 percent zones'' cannot be made to work at Patong beach, the jet-skis and parasail operators will also have to quit the beach.
Mayor Ma-Ann checked the dimensions of some buildings on the foreshore today. The restaurants and beach clubs occupying the council units, erected to help locals after the 2004 tsunami, face demolition early in the new year.
Authorities are awaiting documents from the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation, which erected some of the units.
Cherng Talay Mayor Ma-Ann Samran led officials and police and a team of volunteers who descended on Surin beach, generally regarded as Phuket's five-star beach, from 9am.
The raiders nabbed 67 mats, 22 umbrellas and six pillows, but were unable to find anyone who claimed ownership of the beach equipment.
The gear was taken to Thalang Police Station, where owners may claim it and submit to charges.
Mayor Ma-Ann said early this month that it was his intention to make Surin as natural as possible and to dedicate the beach to HM The King and the Queen, who visited the beach and other parts of Phuket in the 1950s.
As the only beach in that special category, Surin will remain free from commerce. Some other ''virgin'' beaches will also be free from commerce but the popular west coast beaches are in the process of being fitted with ''10 percent zones'' where tourists will be able to hire mats and umbrellas and obtain food and drink.
Beach visitors may bring their own umbrellas and chairs and sit where they choose at all beaches, although they are likely to be ''invited'' into the ''10 percent zones.''
Representatives of jet-ski and parasail operators were told at another meeting that if the ''10 percent zones'' cannot be made to work at Patong beach, the jet-skis and parasail operators will also have to quit the beach.
Mayor Ma-Ann checked the dimensions of some buildings on the foreshore today. The restaurants and beach clubs occupying the council units, erected to help locals after the 2004 tsunami, face demolition early in the new year.
Authorities are awaiting documents from the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation, which erected some of the units.
Kata and Nai Harn next i hope.
Posted by Bjorn Ronningen on December 23, 2015 07:51