Rawai beach stalls to be moved

RAWAI: About 40 stall vendors selling food along the Rawai seafront have been ordered to vacate by the end of June in preparation for developments at the resort beach. Sixteen of the vendors will move to a new site as part of a 600,000-baht building project that will house them about 500 meters from the old location, near the Rawai Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) offices. The change would spruce up the beach, OrBorTor President Arun Sorot told the Gazette. “We had many complaints about the number of stalls along the beach,” he said. “We have explained our policy and sent the vendors a letter on Monday. “If they can’t move by June 30, officers will help them,” he added. “After they move, the beach view for local people and tourists will improve.” He said the OrBorTor, the Phuket Provincial Land Office and the Phuket Provincial Harbor Office were having discussions with Rawai shop-owners whose land had been eroded by the sea’s encroachment. Rawai OrBorTor has also asked for 30 million baht from the Tourism Authority of Thailand to build a 300-meter pier. K. Arun expects construction to begin next year.