Prachuab officials to reorganize Hua Hin beach

[Big Boy]

By 'big operators' who are they referring to?

My initial thought was hotels/condos, but on my beach walks earlier this year, it was very apparent that very few hotels/condos encroached on to the beach. Where they did, it was usually tastefully done.

[hhfarang]

D-Day for illegal beach operators:

"Hua Hin Beach to be better organised
By Digital Content



PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN, Aug 13 -- Prachup Khiri Khan provincial authorities plan to urgently organise Hua Hin Beach, one of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations, after allowing local entrepreneurs to violate regulations for a long time.

Prachup Khiri Khan Governor Weera Sriwattantrakul called a meeting with the Hua Hin Municipal Office to work out a solution to organise the Hua Hin Beach, as today has been to the D-Day of tidying up the beach.

The purpose of D-Day is to return order and cleantoliness to the popular beach, as well as systemise the standard of service and food prices on the beach. The governor foresaw that all concerned parties must come to a common agreement in order to carry out the measures and regulations.

Mr Weera said that cleaning up the beach would be carried out by the city workers, as most beach entrepreneurs have consented to removing their stalls and understand the aim of the clearing.

As for the price of food, the governor said entrepreneur representatives would be called in to meet to discuss the sales price for food, with signs would then be put up to present the new agreed prices.

Meanwhile, Hua Hin City Chief Pornchai Thomkrajang confirmed that the cleaning up Hua Hin Beach is a necessary procedure as it would help to improve the province's image and provide the fullest benefit to the public, despite the fact that a group of Hua Hin vendors have traveled to Bangkok to file a complaint to the Naitonal Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), asking the council to reconsidering the cleaning up of the beach.

Mr Pornchai said violation of the regulations would not be tolerated, and that all apprehended suspects would face legal action.

(MCOT online news)
-- TNA 2014-08-13"

[Big Boy]

The purpose of D-Day is to return order and cleantoliness to the popular beach, as well as systemise the standard of service and food prices on the beach. The governor foresaw that all concerned parties must come to a common agreement in order to carry out the measures and regulations.

I am encouraged by this paragraph. Previously I assumed that everything had to go. However, it now seems a closely regulated service will be available.

[hhfarang]

"Hua Hin vendors plead for leniency
The Nation August 14, 2014 1:00 am



Hua Hin vendors on Wednesday pleaded for mercy to the National Council for Peace and Order after the Prachuap Khiri Khan governor ordered a clean-up of the beach and the demolition of their shops.
While the group was filing the complaint, crews tore down one of the targeted 66 shops, as shop attendants at the beach resisted them and told them the shop owners had gone to seek help from the NCPO.

Jongkonlanee Ritthirong, the leader of the group, said the governor's order, which was claimed to be based on NCPO policy, lost many merchants their jobs.

The vendors over the past three decades had always followed the rules but were told to move out.

This order was directed only at small shops, not the encroaching resorts and restaurants of some big-time operators.

Regarding complaints about overcharging, she said that the shops clearly showed their prices on menus and that their Bt150 "som tam" spicy papaya salad normally sold for that at tourist attractions like Pattaya and Phuket."

[Big Boy]

I've just taken a walk down Soi 77 to take a look. There's a scattering of umbrellas and sun beds, but probably the least I ever seen here (circa 1999). I'll post a couple of photos later.

If the rain holds off, I'll have a look near the Hilton later.

[Big Boy]

Photos from my midday venture onto the beach at Soi 77

Still banana boats and jet skis for hire though:

[STEVE G]

The purpose of D-Day is to return order and cleantoliness to the popular beach, as well as systemise the standard of service and food prices on the beach. The governor foresaw that all concerned parties must come to a common agreement in order to carry out the measures and regulations.

I am encouraged by this paragraph. Previously I assumed that everything had to go. However, it now seems a closely regulated service will be available.

Yes, clean and regulate by all means, as long as they leave some services and don't turn the beach into an imitation of the Sahara desert.

[richard]

Steve G said

Yes, clean and regulate by all means, as long as they leave some services and don't turn the beach into an imitation of the Sahara desert.

I don't think that will ever happen.

After the dust has settled my guess is that it will creep back to what it was.

Years ago when I used to trawl the small beaches south of Hua Hin they appeared to be deserted and tranquil. Didn't take long before some sort of vendor appeared from behind a coconut palm to sell you something whether food, drink, trinkets or the like.

[Big Boy]

Well, the rain was only light, so I parked my car by the fishing pier. I wandered over to the beach, going up past the Chinese Temples. The first thing I noticed was that my favourite place in Hua Hin for whiling away the afternoons on a warm afternoon had fallen victim. The walkway cafe to the beach has gone.

I went around the corner, still expecting to see the huge forest of umbrellas. It had gone!

Everything was still there, but packed away

I took a walk along the beach and there were 2 beach bars still serving with one customer each. One 'entrepreneur' had seen there was no officialdom around, and had set out one row of deckchairs, but nobody dared use them.

My personal impression was that somebody was paying lip service by stacking all of this stuff against the wall. 2 beach bars open, and one row of deckchairs available already seemed to confirm my feelings. Is somebody going to police this? They weren't yet.

It was quite sad really. Such a prolific beach for so long, but now apart from the odd rubber necker, the beach was deserted.

[STEVE G]

I'm left wondering exactly who benefits from this kind of thing if it just leads to no one using the beach.

[richard]

Wait till the dust settles guys

Like all re-enforcement of the laws here in Thailand they tend to lapse. Usually in time for the high season

[Pleng]

I don't think word will have gotten out long enough for this to have had a serious affect on beach visitors.

Today a Thursday, it is the second day after a 4-day weekend, in which everybody was out spending their money. It's the middle of low season, and the weather is pretty crap. I wouldn't expect the beach to be full of people regardless of this additional situation

[Big Boy]

I agree that I wouldn't expect it to be full, but during European School Holiday time, I would have expected more Farang activity than there was.

[STEVE G]

I agree that I wouldn't expect it to be full, but during European School Holiday time, I would have expected more Farang activity than there was.

I was there two weeks ago on a weekday and it was hard to get a table for lunch, mainly European families.

[PeteC]

When do EU schools reopen? Many US was this week. Thai Internationals are next week. Perhaps there was a recent mass exodus back to home? Plus....it was cloudy and rain threatening at the beach today, right? Pete