Police reveal how Phuket's public beaches were rented out - for billions

[madmitch 11,465]

I'd be happy for the sunbed vendors to get the slap on the wrist that the sentence from six years ago represents.

It's those that were taking the money that need to do the time.

Any bets that it will be the other way round?

[nycjoe 318]

Think of what that money could do for the education system and to bring the quality of life up for the poor. I really hope this is not a blip on the radar. It will take a strong will to stand up to the wealthy.

[merijn 856]

It looks to me that some hotels were in on the deal

I don't think they any choice, Pay or have the mafia pollute the and intimidate your costumers on the beach in front of your hotel.

[Acharn 759]

today in pattaya the police and military were measuring beach vendors spaces,the vendors were noticably ''pissed'' i was told the rows of chairs and umberellas which sometimes are 5 deep,will be reduced to (2) rows per section..as we know on high tide it is impossible to walk the beach as the vendors take up all the space....this is terrific news.....sawadee (love the crap)

Same is true in Jomtien today: tape measures, about 5-6 cops with other official looking types at various sites up and down beach. Umbrella people didn't look too happy.

"“Tomorrow about 15 sunbed operators will be summoned to the police station to be charged with trespassing on public land." I think that approach is a bit harsh. They dealt with officials and paid fees so they could do business. That went to pockets of corrupt politicians for sure, but who else would they get permission from? Report it to police? Ghostbusters? Who you gonna call? I think losing their investment in umbrellas and related vending stock is punishment enough. As far as government abuse, triple damages of money they stole from people of Thailand, 15 years minimum in prison hard labor.

I have to admit the permission argument is persuasive to me. In most places, permission to use public space is granted by the municipality. In Bangkok, for example, all those booths that line both sides of the sidewalk on Silom Road, are licensed by the Bangkok Municipality. The licensing is enforced by the Municipal Police or Thetsabaan. I suppose any honest business man (or even one who is less than honest) would think a license from the municipal administration, signed by the Mayor, would be legitimate. Of course you have to pay a licensing fee, that's not bribery.

[Seashore 19]

are we really surprise on this??? Come on Thailand, this isn't' anything new. Just because someone who is Thai has pointed it out we are surprised???

Give the beaches back to the people!!

[OOLEEBER 372]

House of cards coming down?

Perfectly and succinctly put. Nice one eezer

[AJBangkok 728]

Who's to say the hotels or their locally employed managers aren't neck deep in this. For example.

The locally employed manager/ senior staff member of the hotel says to the mayor we want to reserve the 80 meter beach front of our hotel for our guest sunbeds. If you give this guy ( who just happens to be my brother in law ) a concession to manage beachfront the hotel will pay him and he will pay you. The hotel will expense it and the leasee ( my BIL) will pay the tax. Your name won't appear anywhere. You'll be clean and the stupid farang owners/ international management company of the hotel will not question it deeply as their whole existence relies on their direct beach access.

It's still wrong and it could be way off base but I dont think anything in phuket us as cut and dried as we'd like to believe

[wade72 92]

a map of Kata Beach clearly showing how the entire beach had been divided up, and naming the operators for each of the 31 slices, which run from the top of the beach to about halfway to the high tide line.

The map notes that the total length of the beach is 1,497.2 metres and the space for sunbeds takes up 1,087 metres of that length

That shows some sophisticated organization. So, Take that! All you Thai-bashers who are always going on about how Thais are disorganized goofballs!

T

I like that comment!!! I hear it all the time about the "disorganized, stupid thais who apparently don't know how to do anything right"..... I hear that almost as much as I hear about the "highly intelligent foreigner being scammed" by the "disorganized, stupid thais who apparently don't know how to do anything right"... interesting!

I do not see the ability to organize sleze and corruption to be a big plus.

Neither do I, I just think it is ironic the superiority complex that is endemic in the expat community, yes there are exceptions.

Generally they are the same people that in their country of birth b*tch and complain about the immigrants wanting to come to their country and change things.... then what do they do when they get here? Wish they could change things to be more like their own country, develop a superiority complex and look down on the people that own the country.

Basically the exact same thing that pissed them off about the immigrants in their home country!

[heyexile 149]

Democracy is so overrated....nothing better than a (mostly) benevolent dictatorship to clean up the mess....so far, it seems good

Benevolent Dictatorship is a Urban Legend. Not in history has one turned into anything good. Tito came close, but no cigar.

"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." Winston Churchill

[SOTIRIOS 3,638]

...really 'out there'.....but indicative of the level of 'corruption insanity' that has run rampant for so long....

[wade72 92]

Democracy is so overrated....nothing better than a (mostly) benevolent dictatorship to clean up the mess....so far, it seems good

Benevolent Dictatorship is a Urban Legend. Not in history has one turned into anything good. Tito came close, but no cigar.

"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." Winston Churchill

Jigme Wangchuk did a pretty damn good job prior to abdicating the throne in Bhutan!

[attrayant 6,822]

I'm not much of a beach person so I don't know... how much does (did) it cost to rent a chair & umbrella for an hour?

Assuming these are public beaches, then whatever the cost, it should be a zero budget arrangement - the income going to pay for the cost of the furniture and vendor's salary and nothing more.

[tx22cb 2,276]

The Mayor of Karon did not keep these "billions" - many people higher up than him also benefited.

I would like to see the names of those above the Mayor - this will be interesting reading, if he squeals. I am sure these names will include those with guns and politicians (or, more likely, their bag-men).

[Neeranam 7,907]

Lets hope they have to pay back every baht to the government plus time in the monkey house...

Rather harsh isn't it?

[Muhendis 869]

but the other side tourist need sun beds and umbrellas. so someone have to rent.

Why on earth should someone have to rent. There are many places (but not in this country) where the municipality put sunbeds on the beaches for free and the nearby restaurants, bars and hotels will supply food and drink for those that want it. Hawkers are not allowed on these beaches. I hope Thailand can also adopt such practices.