Krabi Bans Jet-Skis, Loungers, Shows Phuket How
By Pathomporn Kaenkrachang and Alan Morison
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Towels-only Krabi, free of Phuket beach clutter and crass commercialism
Photo by phuketwan.com/file
KRABI has rejected the Phuket beach jet-ski, lounger and umbrella tourism model and opted to ban almost everything except towels.
In a commitment to nature, Krabi Governor Prasit O-sathanon says: ''We don't want tourists of the type who go to Phuket, Pattaya or Samui.''
The Krabi governor's message will be roundly applauded by many on Phuket, Samui and in Pattaya who agree that Thailand's prime tourist destinations are all the worse for commercialism and crass exploitation.
The battle for many Phuket beaches is being lost to a new tsunami, a giant wave of greed.
Governor Prasit is having none of that. He laid it on the line in an interview with Phuketwan this week.
''When I came to be the governor last year,'' he said. ''I could see we had to save our environment. What Krabi has that the other beach brands don't have is a commitment to staying pure and natural.
''So I banned jet-skis and banana boats, beach loungers, umbrellas, restaurants on the beach, and beach vendors. These people were told that if they ventured onto the beaches in Krabi, they would be arrested.''
Unlike Phuket, where authorities lack the courage to take on the people who now ''own'' the public beaches, Governor Prasit took a stance, and won. Today Krabi's beaches are truly pure and natural, and likely to remain that way while others in Thailand deteriorate.
This high season, the sands of popular Patong on Phuket have vanished under five rows of beach loungers and umbrellas in some places. To Governor Prasit, that kind of short-term thinking has no future.
He says Krabi had two million visitors last year, both domestic and international, and he claims the province now has 20,000 rooms. This compares with about 40,000 on Phuket.
Keeping the beaches natural is only part of Governor Prasit's game plan. He also appears to be no fan of billboards that on Phuket advertise condominiums and other property projects along the major seaside roads and even along the shorefronts.
''I am very concerned about the environment,'' the governor said. ''My concept is that you can't block any view of the seaside. People want to be able to see everything - the sand, the sea, the entire beach - naturally, just the way it should be.''
This may come as a shock to the local authorities who run Phuket's beaches. Some greedy chieftans have in recent times even allowed restaurants to extend across the sands to the waterline, erecting banners and installing double-bed size loungers that prevent people strolling along ''private'' sands.
This has happened at beaches that were once public and belonged to everybody.
''In Krabi there can be no buildings or even umbrellas to block the view,'' Governor Prasit said. ''People need to be able to see everything, to enjoy the natural beauty.''
His view is shared by many on Phuket. But they do not speak out.
The result is that in the years to come, more and more tourists will compare the clutter of Phuket with the natural beauty of Krabi.
And the visitors that both destinations want, the visitors who want nature at its best, are more likely to opt for Krabi.
The governor has made a decision that undoubtedly will serve the best interests of Krabi and its people, and the next generation in Krabi, and the generation ater that.
Having achieved Cabinet approval, in April this year, construction begins on the 4.1 billion baht 1.4 kilometre bridge linking Lanta Yai and Lanta Noi in Krabi. Tourists have often complained that waiting for the ferry means they sometimes miss their flights.
Credit: Phuket Wan (phuketwan.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment