Local residents raised the alarm with a slew of complaints coming in to The Phuket News. “Kata beach has been turned into the world’s ugliest beach with over 10,000 umbrellas from road to high water mark the entire beach,” one local resident said.
Another said, “At Karon Beach, sunbeds are stacked eight deep in some areas, covering nearly the entire beach with no space left for towels or beach blankets. What happened to the 10% rule from five years ago? I’ve heard it’s just as bad at Kata Beach.”
Yet another local resident noted, “The 10% rule, designed to reserve 90% of beach space for public use, appears to be largely ignored.
“Kata beach now is covered with beach chairs, some areas three rows deep. You can’t even see the ocean, let alone walk through the maze,” he added.
One local beachgoer pointed out how bad the problem has become: “The beach chairs and vendors competing for space goes beyond regulations; it’s happening on the beach as well.
“A small wedding ceremony at Kata Beach organised by The Boathouse was interrupted when beach chair vendors demanded payment to move their chairs. Frustrated visitors have reported similar conflicts, with little room left for leisure activities.”
Several of the local residents sent photos of the beach chair sprawl to The Phuket News to substantiate their complaints.
STUMPED
Karon Mayor Jadet Wicharasorn told The Phuket News that he was aware of the recent surge in the number of beach chair operators now operating on the sands in his jurisdiction.
He also insisted that all the new operators setting up on the beach have never received permission from Karon Municipality.
“The 10% rule remains in effect, and I am fully aware of its guidelines. However, only 10% of the original businesses remain in the area, while the new businesses operating now have not received proper permission from Karon Municipality.” Mayor Jadet said.
“The 10% beach management rule limits vendors to using only 10% of the beach for businesses,” he confirmed.
“I’ve seen a lot of them myself. There are so many new businesses [operators] that have opened [on the beaches] that I can’t even give an exact number,” Mayor Jadet added.
POWERLESS
Mayor Jadet assured that he is taking action, but also that he currently has no authority to take action himself, even as the local mayor. “I have already told all of them [the operators], and informed the Phuket Governor,” he said.
Since the ‘beach management rules’ were brought into effect in 2015, local municipalities no longer had the authority the regulate businesses on the beaches in Phuket. That responsibility was taken over by the Phuket office of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), the political arm of the Royal Thai Military, Mayor Jadet added.
“The problem is that the beach management regulations must be given to Phuket ISOC to proceed. Phuket ISOC has already proposed new guidelines to the Phuket Governor, at the end of October,” Mayor Jadet added.
“Currently, all we [Karon Municipality] can do is wait for the Phuket ISOC to come and take action. Phuket ISOC, including the Navy, has not yet issued an order to proceed. Until we receive this order, we cannot do anything. Once the official order comes, we will be able to enforce the proposed plan.” he said plainly.
Yet ISOC Phuket currently remains powerless to take action, Anuphong Panarat, secretary to the Phuket Governor, explained to The Phuket News.
The initial order introducing the ‘beach management rules’ was revoked in 2020, shifting authority to enforce the regulations to the Ministry of Interior, he said.
EXPAND
Likely inspiring the surge in beach operators in Kata is that the Phuket Provincial Office, headed by Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat, has submitted a request to the Ministry of Interior to increase the ‘10% rule’ to 40% for Kata Beach.
“Phuket is considering adopting a beach management style similar to Pattaya City, where local municipalities are responsible for implementation,” Mr Anuphong said.
The transition may take time as a comprehensive and organised system is developed, he added.
Capt Pongsakorn Itsa-sombat, Deputy Director of Phuket ISOC, explained that Governor Sophon held a meeting in April to discuss extending the beach area limit to 40% and allowing temporary occupations such as umbrella setups, provided equipment is removed afterward.
Capt Pongsakorn confirmed that the guidelines were sent to district chiefs and the Mayor of Karon.
“We are awaiting clarification from the Ministry of Interior on whether Phuket Provincial Announcement No. 1/2553 [the original beach management order] remains valid,” Capt Pongsakorn said.
“Until then, a temporary committee is handling the matter to minimise problems,” he said.
The temporary committee last met on Sept 17, but Phuket ISOC still has yet to receive any instructions. Without these orders, action cannot be taken,” Capt Pongsakorn said.
Mayor Jadet emphasised the challenges of overlapping jurisdictions. Unlike Pattaya, a self-governing city, Phuket faces additional layers of bureaucracy, he noted.
“The Phuket Governor is focused on ensuring that local people have jobs and income while preventing conflicts,” he said. “But some individuals are exploiting the situation for personal gain, leading to disputes.
“We need a clear directive from higher authorities… Currently, all we can do is wait for ISOC’s order and the Ministry of Interior to answer,” he said.