Opinion: Phuket beach cleanups – drastic, but necessary

PHUKET: The complete removal of beach lounger and umbrella sets from Phuket’s beaches is a drastic yet necessary step to completely rid the sands of illegal encroachment.

It may be a bitter pill to swallow, especially for those who have lost their jobs, but we need to start from ground zero in order to set the stage for a new Phuket: one in which the term “sustainable tourism” is more than just another buzzword bandied about by so many corrupt bureaucrats.

Nonetheless, the argument to eventually allow some beach loungers back on the sands does have considerable merit.

Unlike most residents, many tourists visiting the island want, and expect, to be able to rent out a beach lounger and umbrella for a reasonable fee. After all, nobody in their right mind would expose their skin to the sun all day without some sort of protection, and a parasol is far more effective and comfortable than using sunscreen – although we of course recommend using both.

Payment for rental of a lounger set does, of course, come with the expectation that certain services will be provided: that the beach boys (or girls) will adjust the umbrellas to ensure that the loungers provide shade at all times, clean up debris, provide protection from potential threats ranging from theft and assault to rip currents and tsunamis. For the most part, the workers do a good job in this respect.

Unfortunately, the beach lounge brigade is somewhat like pak bung talay, that impressive creeping plant with the beautiful purple flower that is usually the first to colonize the sand: they are inevitably followed by other, less attractive, varieties.

So the question is: if a certain controlled number of loungers are allowed back, how long will it take before the beaches are once again recolonized by an astonishing array of other vendors and all the gear and contraptions needed to run their operations?

It is impossible not to feel sorry for honest, hard-working beach vendors who provide the aforementioned services; we appreciate that many long-term vendors have established sizeable numbers of devoted customers who return year after year.

However, the argument that “we are just poor local people” is tenuous, at best. As most long-term residents know, almost all of those that actually work on the beach are not from the area, but from other provinces.

If allowed back, we would like to see this profession restricted to a limited number of people, including the business people who obtained the permits to operate on the beach, who can prove that they have been doing it for a long time, all with Phuket house registrations.

In the meantime, let’s all enjoy this precious time when what is left of Phuket’s beaches’ natural beauty is on full display – because it is impossible to know how long it will last.