President Ponganun Suwannakarn and Vice-President Sarayuth Mallam represented the PTA, while Southern Chapter President Suchart Hirankanokkul represented the THA.
Mr Ponganan told The Phuket News that he told the Governor that neither association wants Sydictive or any other organisation to stage a party on the beach ever again. The two nights of Sydictive Element, he said, damaged the tourism image of Patong.
“Tourists in hotels and restaurants along Patong beachfront were annoyed by the loudness of the party. They could hear it everywhere, constantly, until the following morning,” he said. “[The organisers] violated people’s privacy.”
He admitted that not many guests had checked out of their hotels because of the disturbance, but said this was only because other hotels at New Year were completely full.
However, hotel staff, Patong Police, the PTA and the THA had all had to field many complaints from tourists during the party.
“We worry most about the long-term effect,” Mr Ponganun told The Phuket News. “If this kind of concert, which blocks off the beach and plays very noisy music can be set up whenever they want, bookings by tourists in Patong next year will fall, and many other bad effects will follow.”
He added that, as many people had predicted, the party had left a mess after it was over.
“Two or three days after the party, there were still pieces of broken glass and rotten food buried just under the sand.”
The Governor, who has been receiving comments from all quarters, told The Phuket News today that he had heard “many perspectives” but he agreed that event “was not ready and well managed enough for the mega party they announced before”.
“I have heard from many people. They expressed many different views on the party. Some said they could accept the party but they only wanted it to be better organized. Some said it would have been better to hold it at another time of the year, and some said nothing like this should be staged on a beach again.”
He added that if anyone proposes another similar party, local associations will be a part of the decision-making process.