Beach Scene

[hugos]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

No follow beach Rd... End of beach Rd (split) stay on beach side..

Go over the bridge and up the hill... Follow the Rd round and past viewpoint / lookout (nice sunset spot).. Keep following it along until you get to crystal bay beach (used to be nice but lost its resturant, put up a wall, lots of garbage now).. then..

Follow the Rd up the hill and onto the dirt Rd.. Follow that through the jungle and just keep on the main Rd.. This used to be a really rough dirt Rd (especially in rainy season) and I still would not take the fireblade up it now, but they have concreted its worst sections..

Arrive at a great little beach thats very private and secluded..

Have not checked it out since the tsunami, hope they did ok..

Thx a lot for information. Next time i come to phuket i`ll visit this beach.

Hugo

[Baltic]

Originally Posted by Nicke

.

That said, as an expat, I seldom use the beach chairs or umbrellas at all, I just like to walk or running along the beach.

Yes Nicke,
firstly - I appreciate very much Your GREAT JOB with this forum! When bad things happened, this forum was main source of TRUSTFUL information, all Reuters etc... just b..shit...

But about umbrellas and beach chairs on the beach -
I am a psoriasis (skin disease not affecting others) having guy and the best way for temporary cure for my skin is to lay under LOS splendid sun without any sunscreen for affected body parts ( guess there is about 50% of full body of them...), but still the rest 50% need some screen from direct sun.
Umbrellas were perfect for this.

I have always (more than 10 years) stayed on Karon Beach, if this stupid rule will remain, despite on everything I will cancel my rebooked vacation in Karon Beach (was booked to Karon Beach Resort - now badly destroyed and renovating).

Please BMs give information about Karon Beach !

I need beach chair and umbrella - and I will not buy new temporary umbrella every morning on the beach - forget my THB-s then!

[LivinLOS]

My grandad had chronic Psoriasis (terrible in his last stage and my cousin was starting to get it as she hit puberty) after medicines did no more than ease it she went to a homeopathic doc and his treatments over a 6 month period put it into complete remission..

I also had a very weird experience with a homeopathic doctor that cleared a very threating problem from me..

If you have not already tried this, perhaps you could investigate finding a GOOD (watch out there are a lot of amature and 'enthusiast' docs it seems) Homepathic doc. Always worth a shot.

[Baltic]

Thanks LivinLOS,

I have peace with my psoriasis problem (I know I will not be cured within my lifetime), but of course will check Your advice.

Only thing I'm worried about - there should be some sun umbrellas and beach (laying) chairs close to Karon Beach South Sea Resort, where I will arrive in the end of February.

[aussie dollar]

BANGKOK POST 20/01/05

Stalls won't be allowed back on sand

Upset vendors say life's getting harder

ACHADTAYA CHUENNIRAN

Many vendors were operating businesses illegally on beaches before they were wiped out by the tsunamis, and it was essential that order be re-established now the opportunity had arisen, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday.

People at some beaches have become upset when banned from returning to their previous sites.

Mr Thaksin said the reorganisation would ensure everyone had a piece of land so they could support themselves.



About 1,000 vendors on Tuesday protested against the ban on returning to Kamala and Patong beaches.Officials said the beaches needed to be kept clean and orderly.

Disgruntled vendors met heavily-escorted Phuket governor Udomsak Asavarangkul and demanded he reconsider. However, the governor insisted that vending stalls must be cleared away to ensure orderliness and tourists' safety.

Phuket city issued an ordnance to keep the vendors out after the tsunamis demolished unlicensed beachfront stalls. The city said that in future no vendors' stalls would be allowed to encroach on the beaches.

The governor said the number of tourists to Phuket had dropped by more than 80% since the disaster. Tourism would not recover unless the beach environment was revamped. Beachside roads would be widened and vendors would have to rent space in new designated areas at least 10 metres from the beach.

The city would turn ``encroachers'' into ``tenants'', Mr Udomsak said.

``If you wish to stay on in the area, you must conform to the new regulations and standards,'' he told the vendors. He did not say what he would do if they remained defiant.

He promised the rent and the process to select lessees would be fair, but warned vendors not to haggle with tourists.

A special panel would look into smaller details such as what materials were safe, comfortable and durable for beach deck chairs.

Anant Dechkaew, 36, said his beer bar on Kamala Beach was razed by the waves. He was upset the authorities had never bothered to clarify space management rules until the tsunamis had wiped the slate clean.

The city was making life harder than ever in the wake of the disaster, he said. His worries had multiplied. First he had trouble trying to rebuild his house and now the authorities had banned his stall.

He accused the governor of being dictatorial and vowed to fight on.

[dawsey]

I like the little restaurants and bars on the beach.Its all part of the charm of Thailand for me. Be a shame if they are completely banned from setting up on the beach as it now seems likely. If this is progress I'm not sure I like it

[Nicke]

Atleast I hope we dont see motorbike and car rentals occupy all beach parking space in the future. They could also got nasty if you parked in their area.

At the moment it is perfect, people can easily use a car ot motorbike and find a parking at the beach, it was almost impossible in the past.

The owner of Victoria Restaurant told me he was not able to rebuild his restaurant, so I guess the case is same for Sandy House and lot of others. Mind you, some people make huge money by leasing out these locations (of beach) which they dont even own, so in that perspective I think the authorities is doing the right thing. But it is bad for the torurists, as Dawsey pointed out.

[LivinLOS]

Its a question of upheaval.. People are being told they cant use land they used before, I think it sobvious that most of us prefer that the beach area is cleaned up from rentals and touts but when it comes to removing some guesthouses and buildings the question I ask myself is who benefits ??

It will be interesting to see who 'owns' the businesses that then become beachfront etc.. Thailand is not a country with much transparancy to its government decisions and very often the benefits of upheaval like this flow to a select few.

[plahgat]

Hi!
Personally I prefer the natural looks, without chairs, umbrellas and beachvendors! I don't burn so easy so I always prefer to sleep on a sarong directly on the sand! But I can understand those ''piggy-pinkies'' that don't tan so easily, will need some shelter from the burning sun! What I can't understand is why they don't put up the chairs after peoples demand, so that on quiet days there are less chairs than on busier ones!? Even in the low season there are 5-6 rows of just empty chairs that blocks the way! Very frustrating when you can't find a spot to lay down your beach-mat on! Think it's a good idea to do some zoning, so that some areas will be left to us who likes the natural look!

[Werwolf]

I need on the beach an umbrella.
I agree that there are too many couches and umbrellas, hence, these should be limited.
The drink salesclerks now by the beach are supposed to be banned is a bad joke. On the one hand these belong to a beach besieged by tourist and is also an income basis for many Thais and there families .
However, we wait like it for themselves developed

[Tyfon]

Here are some before and after images of Patong Beach. I managed to find pairs of matching photos from the same vantage point that I overlaid and cropped to give the same views. The 'befores' were taken on 24 Dec and 'afters' were taken on 28 Dec.

The befores were taken in the morning, you can imagine what it was like by midday when all the brollies were open.

Cheers,

K.

[aussie dollar]

tyfon thats great really shows the difference !!
got any more of other items of interest?

[Tyfon]

I'm working on a presentation script for the rest of my photos, will post URL when it's ready.

K.

[chickeee]

thanks Tyfon

Please make a new thread when you do

[Tyfon]

The full collection can now be viewed at:

visionresearch.org/thai

This is not a mongers collection and doesn't feature any girls or board members (at least not intentionally).

Cheers,

K.

[andy50]

nice photos tyfon ,i was going to book into the victoria but changed my mind and stayed at the expat --was anyone injured in the victoria do you know?

[Krukke]

I think people who come to Patong want service.
In daytime on the beach we want sunbeds and umbrellas
and we want somethings to eat and drink and we like the
small restaurants on the beach.
Those who like nice and quite beach can go to
Paradise Beach and other beaches.
In nighttime we can go to beerbars, discos and restaurants,
and we like it is many to choose from.
I do not think any bar owners want any regulations.
Let the customers choose out what they want.

[Tyfon]

Originally Posted by andy50

i was going to book into the victoria but changed my mind and stayed at the expat --was anyone injured in the victoria do you know?

I don't know, the geusthouse reception shutter was locked but the arcade had been completely swept clean of the tables chairs and the internet cafe with the glass walls. The first floor rooms where I stayed one night looked okay, but can't speak for the structure of the building or what happened to the staff. I had left two days before for the Maya Patong Inn.

Cheers,

K.

[Nicke]

They are not going to ban umbrellas or chairs, just limit it to e.g. 1500 seats instead of the 7000 or something that was on the beach in the past. It was a big oversupply in the past.

Originally Posted by Krukke

I think people who come to Patong want service.
In daytime on the beach we want sunbeds and umbrellas
and we want somethings to eat and drink and we like the
small restaurants on the beach.
Those who like nice and quite beach can go to
Paradise Beach and other beaches.
In nighttime we can go to beerbars, discos and restaurants,
and we like it is many to choose from.
I do not think any bar owners want any regulations.
Let the customers choose out what they want.

[andy50]

thanks for the reply tyfon ,it was pure luck that i stayed at the expat instead of the victoria! i went to book in there prior to tsunami, but at the time i was hot and hungry so went for food instead and didnt bother!
perhaps its a good thing to have a lethargic personality! --probably saved me from a very scary experience or worse --and my b/g pan!

[Tyfon]

Originally Posted by andy50

--probably saved me from a very scary experience or worse --and my b/g pan!

I probbly would have been breakfasting at the same time in the same place with the same girl - at the Savoey Restaurant opposite the Victoria - whether I had stayed there or moved, as I did, to the Maya Patong Inn. Both rooms were undamaged and my passport, money etc. were/would have been at ground level and soaked just the same.

My only casualty was my phrase book -left on the restaurant table as the waters descended, and since the only bookshop in the area was wrecked, I couldn't replace it until Bangkok. if anyone finds it, let me know.

Biggest Regret - my documents were in a zip-lock bag in the hotel safe, but I hadn't zipped it watertight

K.