Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat confirmed on Wednesday (Oct 28) that the 10% beach rule is to stay after he concluded his third and final meeting with local police, district officials, community leaders and beach operators, this time in Thalang.
The 10% rule allows vendors renting out umbrellas and sun loungers to tourists to occupy not more than 10% of the beach area. The rule was one of many introduced by previous Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong in January as part of the beach cleanup campaign ordered by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), headed by Prime Minster Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Consequently, the same rule means that beach-goers are not permitted to use even their own umbrellas and sun loungers outside the designated areas, though V/Gov Chokdee says areas at each beach are being reviewed and may be expanded, or contracted.
“The 10% beach policy is still useful for beach management,” V/Gov Chokdee told The Phuket News. “But not every beach in Phuket is the same. We will have to look deeper into the issue at each beach and discuss it with the people affected case by case.”
“We will try to find the best solution for each beach. We will keep the 10% policy as the main principle, but it will be adjustable. Some beaches may end up with more or less than 10% of the beach area reserved for operators, depending on the appropriateness for each beach,” he explained.
V/Gov Chokdee said that he had hoped to have a concrete answer by November 1, the official start of Phuket’s tourism high season.
“But I am new to the island and the review committee must speak with many stakeholders before we can make any decisions,” he said on Wednesday. “I will meet with Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada to discuss this matter within the next few days and will try to find the best solution as fast as possible.
“The high season is very close now, but this is a very sensitive issue that affects many people. We have to be careful, but we can’t be too slow because a lot of people are waiting to hear what we are going to do about this.”
Gov Chamroen, who is a Phuket native, acknowledged the difficulty in setting a general rule that appeases all preferences for what should – or should not – be present on Phuket’s beaches.
“I realise that finding a solution is not easy. This rule was introduced by my predecessor, but it will continue,” he said.
“The ‘special zones’ at each each beach will depend on what the committee headed by V/Gov Chokdee deems appropriate, but I will make it clear that the designated areas are for poor people only, and not for business people to expand their realms.
“And only after we have reviewed the options for all beaches will we publicly announce what the changes at each beach – if any – will be,” he said.
Additional reporting by Tanyaluk Sakoot.