Foreigner condemned for driving car on Kamala Beach in Phuket

Phuket residents and Thai netizens condemned a foreigner for ignoring warnings from lifeguards and vendors and driving a sedan on Kamala Beach.

A Thai man shared the video of a black sedan, a Toyota Camry Hybrid, on Kamala Beach on Facebook yesterday, April 1.

“Foreign tourists cause trouble every day! A foreign tourist, of unidentified nationality, driving a sedan on Kamala Beach this morning. He even drove it into the seawater. Vendors and lifeguards had to intervene. If it is a rental car, the car owner will have to pay a lot for repairs.”

The video showed a foreign motorist driving along the beach, where the sea water washed over the sand. Passengers in the car were seen opening the windows to soak in the atmosphere. In the back seat, one passenger appeared to be talking with a lifeguard in a yellow shirt, although their dialogue remained inaudible in the footage.

Superintendent Somsak Thongkiang of Kamala Police Station informed ThaiRath that officers had viewed the video and intended to examine security camera footage from the area to identify the occupants of the car. However, Somsak noted that the police had yet to confirm whether the vehicle belonged to the foreigners or car rental businesses.

Foreigner criticised

Many Thai netizens flooded the comment section and news reports about this incident.

“How to make the most of the rental car…”

“This is the result of weak and unclear laws.”

“Let’s check on Hua Hin Beach, Kao Takiab Beach, Sun Son Beach, and Khao Tao Beach. Cars were driven on the beach just like a main road.”

“This country is where money is everything.”

“Let it be stuck in the sand for a month.”

“Thai police really respect foreigners.”

Driving or parking a car on beaches is prohibited in Thailand, both for the safety of motorists and the environmental resources.

The authorities had not yet clarified the penalty for the violation of this rule, but a Thai man faced five years in prison and a fine of up to 500,000 baht for driving on a beach in the southern province of Trang.

A similar incident on Kamala Beach was reported in March when a Chinese national drove a green Jeep on the beach and ended up getting the car stuck in the sand.

A Thai man who witnessed the incident added that the Chinese tourist did not show any remorse for causing trouble to locals and the rescue team and even turned up the volume on the music while waiting for assistance.