Mr MaAnn said he was unaware of how bad the problem of cigarette butt litter at Surin Beach was until The Phuket News sent him photos of how many butts had been picked up by a reader at the beach in just 30 minutes earlier this week.
“Thank you to The Phuket News for informing us. It is not correct to drop butts on beach. It makes the beach look dirty,” Mr MaAnn said yesterday afternoon (Mar 30).
“Today I asked officials here at Cherng Talay OrBorTor to contact Patong Municipality and have four warning signs made in the same design as used at Patong. The signs will be installed as soon as we can,” he added.
However, Mr MaAnn confirmed their will be no penalties enforced on those found smoking on or littering on Surin Beach.
“As we have no law to enforce like at Patong Beach, we can only post warning signs and ask for people’s co-operation,” he said.
“We will also set up two smoking areas to encourage people to smoke there and not on the beach,” he added.
Patong Beach is the only beach in Phuket where are a smoking ban is in force under laws enforced by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR).
Under the DMCR’s campaign, it is illegal to smoke cigarettes – and in Thailand that includes vaping (see story here) – at 24 beaches in the country.
Any persons caught breaking the law face a fine of up to B100,000 or even up to a year in jail. (See story here.)