Sunbed vendors removed from Kata Beach

The inspection was ordered by Mueang District Chief Phairot Srilamul, noted an official report posted earlier today (Apr 5).

Joining the inspection were soldiers from Army Region 4, led by Col Phatsawee Pochada; Royal Thai Navy personnel from the Third Area Command at Cape Panwa; members of the Volunteer Defense Corps (OrSor); along with officers from Karon Police and Karon Municipality.

Also joining the inspection were officials from the Isoc Region 4 unit. Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) serves as the political arm of the Royal Thai Military.

The aim of the inspection was to maintain the beach for public use, Mr Phairot said.

“Measures have been put in place to organize all beach areas to be clean, safe and 100% for people and tourists in order to enhance the tourism image of Phuket and Thailand,” he said.

The sunbed-umbrella operators had been warned before, he said.

However, the latest inspection found several operators working outside their designated area.

“Therefore, [officers] seized the sunbeds, umbrellas and other equipment,” Mr Phairot noted.

However, the operators affected have now filed a formal complaint to the Commander of the 4th Army Region and the Mayor of Karon Subdistrict to request to use the beach area so they can make a living, Mr Phairot explained.

“Which will be raised at the next meeting of the district beach organising committee,” he said.

The removal of the beach chair operators at Kata follows a beach inspection tour on Phuket by Lt Gen Santi Sakuntanark, Commander of the 4th Army Region, based in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, on Mar 27.

Following that inspection, a beach chair operator was removed from Freedom Beach.

While in Phuket, Lt Gen Santi also visited Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew “to discuss measures to help solve problems and promote cooperation in order to yield ‘satisfying results’”.

He also visited the Phuket operations team of the Isoc Region 4 branch, to encourage the officers and emphasise that their operations must be morally upstanding.

“They must not get affiliated with mafias, and not accept bribes,” Lt Gen Santi said.

He also said that they have to get close to the local people by understanding the identity and local culture so that they can be a part of the community and create confidence and safety among local people and tourists.

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Correction: * Not Karon Beach as originally reported. The error is regretted.

just in time at the season end LOL

Seen the strenght of the sun and the very high temperatures this period it is unhealthy ( skin cancer risk) and for the young and old dangerous to be at the beach sands without umbrellas.

must have 1000 whales pooing out the coast of patong this week...

Remember when this was done across Phuket in 2014?
While it cleared thousands from the beaches, it cut western tourists by over 50%, because they were older and enjoyed the beach. Then they were gone, and have never returned. No one has the courage to talk of this.