A Jomtien beach vendor has been suspended for 15 days after a Pattaya City Hall complaint that he chased away tourists who didn’t rent a beach chair from him.
Pattana Boonsawat, secretary of the Windsurfing Association of Thailand, took the issue to city hall regulatory enforcement officers Aug. 23 after fielding complaints from tourists about the Cambodian vendor who reportedly chased away beach-goers from his area if they opted to sit on the sand with their own beach mats.
Pattaya-area beaches are regulated so that 65 percent of the sand is left for public use and 35 percent for chair and umbrella vendors.
The Cambodian vendor, identified as Sonauean Aoen, actually was an employee for an unidentified Thai businessperson who lives in Bangsaen who rents the space.
Tourists complained that Aoen chased them away from in front of his chairs, claiming they blocked the sea view. They were told to go to open areas with no chairs. The visitors said they were confused as they believed, correctly, that all the sand was shared between private and public interests.
City legal chief Settapol Boonsawat said Aug. 24 that the concession has been suspended for 15 days and if another offense occurs, the ban will be extended to two months. A third violation will result in revocation of the vendor’s license.
