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

[hawthorne 59]

Nothing will happen to the real thieves only the small guys served up as offerings.

[Khun Loong 302]

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

There is absolutely no need for ugly sunbeds all over beautiful beaches. Unbrellas for shade, yes.

[kerrysum 177]

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

Dream on is all I can say.....

[Thakkar 8,202]

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

When it comes to.corrupt govt business, they are truly world class.

Not nearly as world class as the Western Banksters and their government enablers that nearly tanked the world economy, made billions doing it, escaped any personal responsibility and still got their bonuses. All while ruining the lives of millions, shattering countless dreams and costing trillions to repair that generations hence will be paying for. Now, THAT'S a world class crime syndicate!

T

[Cake Monster 4,402]

Its time for the BIG to start looking at some of the other resort towns now.

Some of these towns have put up some rather large smoke screens to stop the incursion of the BIG into there domains.

I wonder why they have done this ?

[Beng 962]

Finally, after years of encroaching on public beaches, something is being done. Hopefully they extend this crackdown to all the other islands and beaches in the kingdom.

[steelepulse 5,831]

For those saying the resorts were in on it, I don't think so. They were named elsewhere and they are beachfront resorts. They were Club Med, Centara, and Le Meridien. They were Shanghaid to pay the extortionists, which paid the mayor, for the beach in front of their resorts.

All this talk of the mayor having to kick upstairs to BKK, that's a load of rubbish. The only guy he would have to kick up to would be the Phuket governor. Phuket and BKK have never gotten along.

[steelepulse 5,831]

I just read the gazette article and they had a translated version of one contract. It basically said, the hotel needs to pay the beach chair thug a certain amount of money for the space, and the hotel will be allowed to use it's own umbrellas and chairs in that location. Contract also states that beach chair thug has the right to sell drinks to these people.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Phukets-billionbaht-illegal-beach-rental-scheme-exposed/36013#ad-image-0

[me313 310]

Now we have a clearer picture of the money these people claim to have contributed to the country.

As I said before, not even one Satang.

They all went to the pockets of the Mayor and his mafia colleagues.

Well done to the army for exposing another scum.

And commiserations to the people that don't like the present government.

How do you know that in the future money from tax revenues from legal beach operators will go to "the people" instead of to some other "legal" source which will use it to fund projects that will simply shift tourist money from the old network to new networks which, in turn, will enhance other "legal" beneficiaries of the tourist trade,with all investors included?

[jacko45k 17,224]

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

These to results are very likely opposing.

[o2eZy 334]

they earnt money from the proceeds of crime...in Australia all bank accounts would be frozen and assets seized till

you can prove how you obtained them....you can't prove how you obtained cash and assets legally and that you have

paid tax on your yearly income that would tie up with what you have earnt to what you have then all proceeds of crime would be forfeited to the courts....should be the same here in the land of smiles and mafia

[neilyboy 10]

Hear that? That's the sound of any chance of sunbeds returning to Phuket beaches evaporating.

To see the extent they are taking this (not only kicking them out but now charging the beach chair operators with crimes) I think the jet ski guys aren't being ignored, I think they are just farther back in the que.

i hope they get rid of them all they are maffia at the worst level, leave the beach for the people to enjoy ,it is even great to see the Thai children enjoying the FREE beach also, please keep it that way for all.

[joebrown 1,829]

I just read the gazette article and they had a translated version of one contract. It basically said, the hotel needs to pay the beach chair thug a certain amount of money for the space, and the hotel will be allowed to use it's own umbrellas and chairs in that location. Contract also states that beach chair thug has the right to sell drinks to these people.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Phukets-billionbaht-illegal-beach-rental-scheme-exposed/36013#ad-image-0

"The hotel needs to pay the beach chair thug a certain amount of money for the space, and the hotel will be allowed to use it's own umbrellas in that location" !!!!!!!!!!!

Cheeky bas###ds all backed by corruption at the top in City Hall. The Ministry of Thai Education should consider bringing in a new degree for students, namely one in SCAMMING, then it's importance in the Thai culture could be appropriately recognised.

[Yann55 2,341]

Quote :

'Meanwhile, in a parallel case in the Administrative Court, the Kathu District Officer, the Mayor of Patong and Patong Municipality were accused of giving permission to Yutthana to occupy public beach for profit, but that court dismissed their cases.

During his trial Yutthana admitted his guilt but complained that he had been singled out unfairly because other sunbed operators at Tritrang had not been arrested. The judge responded that this was irrelevant.'

Is it necessary to comment, or do these statements speak for themselves ? Justice for everyone or only for those who can't pay and/or don't have enough clout ?

[Kru Baa 323]

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

Yeah right. You know that's not going to happen.