He was commenting after investigating the confusing incident on Surin Beach on Friday (November 28) when there were angry scenes as tourists were told to take down their umbrellas by a combination of OrBorTor and Marine Office officials, police and Army officers.
Gen Pachara said that after questioning police officers from Cherng Talay he learned that the Marine Office wanted to check and measure the area after some local residents filed a complaint stating that the area under the pine trees along the top of the beach was privately owned, and no public land.
The crowd of uniforms conducting the survey found that tourists’ sunbeds and umbrellas were obstructing the survey, he explained, so tourists were asked to move them out of the way for the time being.
But communication, it seems, was not the best, resulting in disgruntled tourists – believing they were being told not to bring umbrellas, chairs and sunbeds onto the beach – becoming involved in angry scenes with the assorted officials.
“It’s okay for people to put up their umbrellas on the beach, as long as it not for business purposes,” Gen Pachara said. “I can assure you that that this type of incident will never happen again.”
Quite why the army were involved in the incident has not been explained; on Thursday last week Vice-Admiral Sayan Prasongsamrej, commander of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, stated categorically, “The Navy’s Third Area Command now has sole responsibility for Phuket. No other arm of the military has responsibility.”