If the authorities will not allow that, then they should at least clearly write the beach rules denoting what is – and what isn’t allowed – in the 10% zones at all Phuket beaches, she told a meeting at Provincial Hall yesterday (Jan 12).
The meeting was called after the Royal Thai Navy just before Christmas ordered vendors operating at Patong Beach to remove “sand loungers” – sun beds sculpted from the beach sand itself as the Navy deemed the creative sun beds to be in breach of the beach rules. (See story here.)
Heading the meeting yesterday was Phuket Vice Governor Snith Sriwihok. Also present was Kathu District Chief Sayan Chanachaiwong.
“The vendors created these ‘sand loungers’ for the tourists. If the tourists did not ask for them, the operators would not have made them,” she said.
“I request that the provincial authorities give 10% (of the beach area) to allow operators to provide beach chairs and umbrellas,” Mayor Chalermluck said.
“If this is not allowed, then I request that operators be allowed to do so inside the 10% zones, and the Provincial Office needs to make the rules clear exactly what is and what is not allowed inside the 10% zones so that whatever is done inside the zones, is done so in an orderly fashion,” she said.
Also touted at the meeting was a call to make the rules consistent at all 18 beaches in Phuket where the 10% zones are in effect.
The “10% zones” are last bastions where vendors may work on beaches in Phuket, and were introduced by Phuket’s previous Governor, Chamroen Tipayapongtada.
However, the “beach rules” in Phuket specifically apply only in Phuket. The 10% rule does not apply anywhere else in Thailand, not even in Khao Lak, just one hour’s drive north of Phuket, or even on Phi Phi or elsewhere in across the bay in Krabi.
However, Patong Mayor did not receive a clear answer to her proposal.
After much banter about the what may or may not be allowed at Phuket’s beaches, meeting closed with the resolution for all local authorities to check the 10% zones in their areas to ensure the current rules were being enforced.
The meeting also resolved that the Provincial Office will “add to the current rules that vendors cannot do anything that is not already permitted in the rules.”