Attention was brought to the issue following a slew of complaints on various social media platforms that the restaurant, Mermaid de Sea Phuket, had illegally blocked off areas in front of its premises using the cones and that numerous cars, believed to be those of customers, had parked irresponsbily as a result, blocking traffic flow.
Officers from Patong Police station visited the site on Thursday evening (Nov 25) to inspect and confirmed the fine of B1,000 had been issued the following day for breach of Road Traffic Act 2522 stipulating obstruction of traffic is forbidden.
Police confirmed that they had discussed the incident with the manager and staff of the restaurant and that they understood that by placing the cones in a public parking area they were breaking the law and forcing cars to park elsewhere which, in turn, was blocking traffic.
No arrests were made as the fine and a warning was deemed appropriate. The restaurant manager and staff acknowledged this and agreed to cooperate moving forward.
Police used the incident to issue a general reminder that blocking off public access areas and obstructing traffic is a crime and asked for people to respect the law and cooperate in future.