Phuket beach chair wars ‘dying down’
PHUKET: Arguments between tourists wanting a beach chair, particularly on Kata and Karon Beaches, are disappearing now that it is close to the end of March and visitor numbers are declining towards the end of the tourist high season.
Naraporn Tuarob
Thursday 21 March 2013, 06:16PM
The arguments were sparked at the beginning of the month when a temporary three-month agreement between the Beach Chair Club and local authorities expired.
The agreement had allowed club members to put out three rows of chairs instead of the usual two. When it ended, beach chairs owners were obliged to cut back to two rows, resulting in shortages of loungers – and disputes between tourists.
But the lesson has been learned, said Sunan Boonrat, Chairman of the Kata-Karon Beach Chair and Umbrella Club.
He told The Phuket News, “We will have a conference, around June or July, after which we will meet with the relevant municipality officials.
“We know the problems now and we will discuss the possibility of extending the three-row arrangement for longer than three months.”
He added that a special club committee will also meet every year before December to discuss how best to handle the incoming waves of tourists.
