Phuket Beach Chair Cut-Back Makes Tourists Grumpy

[webfact]

Phuket beach chair cut-back makes tourists grumpy
Nattha Thepbamrung

PHUKET: Competition among tourists for beach-chair-and-umbrella sets on Karon and Kata Beaches has become fierce since one third of the chairs were removed on Friday (March 1).

Where in February there were three tows of chairs, with effect from Friday there were just two.

Roy and Ranne, tourists from Norway, grumbled, “It was better before when it was three rows, which meant there were enough seats and we didn’t have to fight to get the chair that we paid for.

“Now we need to come down early in the morning to reserve a seat. The weather is too hot, it is impossible for us to sit on the sand.”

Sunan Boonrat, Chairman of the local Beach Chair and Umbrella Club in Kata/Karon, explained to The Phuket News that the club’s own regulations limit members to two rows of chairs.

But on December 1, with record numbers of tourists arriving, the club had asked for and had received the local council’s agreement to increase that to three rows.

However, the agreement was strictly temporary, and expired on the last day of February. On March 1, therefore, beach chair operators cut back again to two rows.

This sparked plenty of complaints form tourists, with some saying that they couldn’t find vacant chairs to lounge on and others saying they had reserved chairs only to come back and find them occupied by other people.

“There were lots of cases this morning,” said Jarun Kakkor, a beach chair owner. “Many tourists left their towels on chairs in order to reserve them, but when they went up to buy drinks or to take things back to their hotel rooms they came back down to the beach to find their chair taken by other tourists.”

Mr Sunan said the club’s two-row regulation had been set in 1986 when there were far fewer tourists. In the past two years in particular great numbers of tourists had been arriving in Phuket and looking for beach chairs.

“This year, even in March, there are still lots of tourists so if we provide only two lines of the chairs, it’s definitely not enough for the tourists.

“I’ve noticed that on breaches in other parts of the island there are three rows of chairs.” (The Phuket News counted four rows in Patong.) “We should all have the same regulations,” Mr Sunan added.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-beach-chair-cut-back-makes-tourists-grumpy-37540.php


-- Phuket News 2013-03-05

[angsta]

Another big win for the Phuket tourist board.

[steelepulse]

IIRC, after the Tsunami, there was a maximum of 2 rows allowed on all beaches and there had to be quite a bit of space between each set of loungers. None of that has been adhered to, but it's good to see Kata and Karon enforcing this local regulation.

[LivinginKata]

When we walk along Kata beach we notice that many tourists don't use the chairs, and just lie down on a towel on the sand.

[petedk]

When we walk along Kata beach we notice that many tourists don't use the chairs, and just lie down on a towel on the sand.

Yes but the problem is that they are not allowed to just lay on the beach. They MUST rent a chair in order to lay on their towels.

I have seen many tourists being asked to get up rent a chair or clear off.

Do these people own the beaches?

[JetsetBkk]

When we walk along Kata beach we notice that many tourists don't use the chairs, and just lie down on a towel on the sand.

Yes but the problem is that they are not allowed to just lay on the beach. They MUST rent a chair in order to lay on their towels.

I have seen many tourists being asked to get up rent a chair or clear off.

Do these people own the beaches?

I used to take my own deck chairs and cooler box full of drinks to Karon beach and sit near the water's edge in front of the sun-loungers which were usually a long way back. Haven't done it for a few years though.

I was never told to clear off.

[madmitch]

When we walk along Kata beach we notice that many tourists don't use the chairs, and just lie down on a towel on the sand.

Yes but the problem is that they are not allowed to just lay on the beach. They MUST rent a chair in order to lay on their towels.

I have seen many tourists being asked to get up rent a chair or clear off.

Do these people own the beaches?

Absolute rubbish!

[Pinot]

Wait...there is a law being enforced in Thailand?

[LivinLOS]

Looks like this article was sponsored by the beach chair rental association..

[Payboy]

They could fit in more tourists if they just had 2 rows of benches instead of those chairs. .

[Emdog]

Speaking of benches... Here in Jomtien they removed almost all the benches along beach road, and in the circles in November. The answer I got from 'authorities" was for "crime prevention". BS. I told them I've been living here seven years and never seen a crime on a bench, maybe a set up for one back in the room, but... It is clear that the umbrella & chair mafia was behind this. Now we sit on the curb. It may lead to less crime as there is less reason for expats to go to the beach. Those umbrellas are sooo ugly: you can't see the surf, way too many of them. I come from Oregon where the beach is the beach, not an umbrella fest. Get rid of half of them at least. Abominations.

[petedk]

When we walk along Kata beach we notice that many tourists don't use the chairs, and just lie down on a towel on the sand.

Yes but the problem is that they are not allowed to just lay on the beach. They MUST rent a chair in order to lay on their towels.

I have seen many tourists being asked to get up rent a chair or clear off.

Do these people own the beaches?

Absolute rubbish!

It's certainly not rubbish. I have seen it happen!

Some foreigners came along, opened their towels and lay down next to an area with beach chairs. They were told that they could not that. They could rent a chair and then they could lay on the sand if they wanted.

I can't remember which beach as it was 4 or 5 years ago.

Ok Maybe Phuket has changed and they don't do it any more.

Edited March 5, 2013 by petedk

[MagicMax]

It's about time, why can't people sit on a towel like we all used to?

[LivinginKata]

For sure those that use the beach below the 'chair line' do not have to pay anyone. I see many folks doing that and less people using the chairs.

[Westaurel]

LOL

Phuket chairman does making overbooking on the beach ? Cannot go to swim without lost your seat ! Playing musical chairs there !

[hadi8253]

What about 2 storey chairs ?

Two rows would be enough !

[thaigold]

Yo ... I'm from Hawaii. We've got beaches that would make the Euros kill for. You know what? We don't provide chairs, ya lay on the sand you dummies. That's why God created sand.

[bearpolar]

those that were told to move probably sat too far back. Just sit close to the water and then ask them if they wish to call HM The King and see who really owns the beach.

[taninthai]

This makes me laugh , the wife has a beach front resort in krabi of coarse we get the tourists coming from Phuket they seem generally shocked when we tell them our beach chairs and hammocks are all free to use.

Do you think I should start charging them what's the going rate.....lol

[candypants]

why on earth anyone would want to spend the day on a radically over crowded phuket beach with the hoi polloi risking death by chav, russian, jetski and speed boat is well beyond my ken.

[Jimi007]

I got fed up years ago. I still have my big Singha umbrella I got years ago for being a judge at the Kata Beach Surf Contest. I've got all the rest of the gear too. But in the high season, I don't even like going to the beach here anymore. No surf and too many brilliant people! I can't wait for the first decent swell to come in and clean out the beaches...

Edited March 5, 2013 by Jimi007

[Globeman]

When we walk along Kata beach we notice that many tourists don't use the chairs, and just lie down on a towel on the sand.

Yes but the problem is that they are not allowed to just lay on the beach. They MUST rent a chair in order to lay on their towels.

I have seen many tourists being asked to get up rent a chair or clear off.

Do these people own the beaches?

Technically, no. Practically, yes. All beaches in Thailand are public - I believe under the constitution. A property owner can block access, but if you approach from the water and stay within a certain distance of the shoreline, allegedly nobody can boot you out. Tell that to the angry thugs with the baseball bats, though. The US has the same law and there are people who come in by boat so they can hang out on the "private" beaches of celebrities. Of course in these cases, when the police are called, they say, "Sorry Ms Diaz, but they are allowed to stay here", whereas one suspects that in Phuket, the police would arrest you.

[Costas2008]

I bet you the Germans will always get a chair...........They do in Greece anyway!!!!!!!!!

[cambtek]

This euro thing of reserving loungers is crap. If you arent there someone should just take the chair. But the beaches are covered with the bloody things, its awful.

[Yahooka]

why on earth anyone would want to spend the day on a radically over crowded phuket beach with the hoi polloi risking death by chav, russian, jetski and speed boat is well beyond my ken.

Really??Can you perhaps suggest where in Thailand tourist should go then ??......better don`t do it....it will soon become overcrowded and polluted there too,after some years !!!

[palandre]

Yo ... I'm from Hawaii. We've got beaches that would make the Euros kill for. You know what? We don't provide chairs, ya lay on the sand you dummies. That's why God created sand.

That's funny. 'God created sand'. Funny.

[phuketrichard]

When we walk along Kata beach we notice that many tourists don't use the chairs, and just lie down on a towel on the sand.

Yes but the problem is that they are not allowed to just lay on the beach. They MUST rent a chair in order to lay on their towels.

I have seen many tourists being asked to get up rent a chair or clear off.

Do these people own the beaches?

WHAT??? Where have u seen this?

the beach is government property and u can place a towel on it an lay down. I do it all the time an have since forever here in Kamala

if they don't like it **** em

At least here in kamala they have set aside about 30 meters of beach that there are NO CHAIRS

So phuket has to many hotel rooms and not enough chairs LOL

Edited March 6, 2013 by LivinginKata

[stevenl]

When we walk along Kata beach we notice that many tourists don't use the chairs, and just lie down on a towel on the sand.

Yes but the problem is that they are not allowed to just lay on the beach. They MUST rent a chair in order to lay on their towels.

I have seen many tourists being asked to get up rent a chair or clear off.

Do these people own the beaches?

Strange, I do that all the time at several beaches on the island, and never get asked to rent a chair or move.

[fasteddie]

Wouldn't go anywhere near a beach with those abominations on them, a towel on the sand is all you need.

[Arkady]

Not sure why anyone would want to sit amongst rows and rows of grockles on deck chairs on the beach, exposing their skin to the merciless UV rays of the tropical sun but each to his own.