Opinion: Take it easy, people

PHUKET: Take it easy, people. What our government is trying to do is bring back “The Land of Smiles”. The nation’s leaders are trying to fix all of the problems that have plagued Thailand for decades.

I have heard some say that Rome wasn’t built in a day… so, give the government a chance to work out these problems.

What attracted tourists to Phuket in the old days were the three “S’s”: sea, sun and sand. There was a clean ocean, warm weather and white sands.

Now, many places at all the beaches, as well as in the ocean itself, are full of garbage.

It is time for this cleanup. We need to make Phuket a beautiful place of quality again so we can attract quality tourists and the money that they are willing to pay for the experience.

We must change our habits to be more in tune with nature, not to corrupt nature to satisfy our every whim. The beaches are naturally so beautiful, so why do people insist on covering them with beach chairs and umbrellas? Just sit on a mat or a towel and feel the softness of the sand.

Yes, there is a ban on food and all types of alcohol, but that doesn’t ruin the experience. Take a break from baking on the beach when the sun is at its hottest and enjoy the coolness of a nearby cafe, or the shade of a restaurant or bar.

But – please don’t confuse the girly bars of Bangla with Thai culture.

Girls sliding up and down stripper poles, swinging and dancing, are not representative of Thailand. It is not what the Tourism Authority of Thailand, or Thais in general, consider “Thainess”.

Go immerse yourself in the real culture and the real beauty of Thailand. Help us reclaim the natural beauty of Phuket.

Let’s not force quality tourists who want more than girly bars to neighboring provinces, where so much of what is beautiful about Thailand has yet to be ruined by careless development.

Even though we are proud of our Thainess, Thailand still welcomes people from all over the world.

Those who say that we will ban tourists or that the current bans and new laws issued by the government will push the tourists away, are just being negative and sarcastic.

These kinds of attitudes toward Thailand – which has for many years played host to people from all over the world – unfairly damage the country’s reputation as the Land of Smiles.

— Anchan Panna