News Forum - Pattaya restaurant blamed for taking over public beach

[Thaiger]

A restaurant manager confessed to using public spaces at Na Jomtien Beach in Pattaya without permission to provide seating for their customers. Facebook page, PattayaWatchdog, posted a picture of nearly 30 tables on the beach, complete with decorative lamps to create an ideal romantic dinner setting. The caption said… “This is Na Jomtien Beach under …

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[Soidog]

I find most of the mainland and large island beaches in Thailand aren’t managed well when it comes to bars and restaurants. I know you don’t want open season and allow anyone to set up food stalls and bars, but it’s rare to find proper beach bars or restaurants in Thailand. Invariably in the larger tourist areas, the bars and restaurants are separated from the beach by a busy road. The same is true in the inner towns and city lakes and parks. Khon Kean has several large lakes with restaurants dotted around the edge but all separated  by a road. Hardly makes for a nice atmosphere when dining or chilling with a beer. 

[Marc26]

7 hours ago, Soidog said:

I find most of the mainland and large island beaches in Thailand aren’t managed well when it comes to bars and restaurants. I know you don’t want open season and allow anyone to set up food stalls and bars, but it’s rare to find proper beach bars or restaurants in Thailand. Invariably in the larger tourist areas, the bars and restaurants are separated from the beach by a busy road. The same is true in the inner towns and city lakes and parks. Khon Kean has several large lakes with restaurants dotted around the edge but all separated  by a road. Hardly makes for a nice atmosphere when dining or chilling with a beer. 

I have said that forever

 

I think Thailand has a horrible beach life atmosphere

 

They either have what you explained or places like Samui where the whole beach is covered and you can't actually see the beach

 

 

That is the exact reason I like Kamala

 

I am going to Koh Lanta for 1st time and hoping that is ok for beach life

[Bluesofa]

11 hours ago, Soidog said:

I find most of the mainland and large island beaches in Thailand aren’t managed well when it comes to bars and restaurants. I know you don’t want open season and allow anyone to set up food stalls and bars, but it’s rare to find proper beach bars or restaurants in Thailand. Invariably in the larger tourist areas, the bars and restaurants are separated from the beach by a busy road. The same is true in the inner towns and city lakes and parks. Khon Kean has several large lakes with restaurants dotted around the edge but all separated  by a road. Hardly makes for a nice atmosphere when dining or chilling with a beer. 

The only time I've ever been to Phuket was almost 35 years ago.
A friend and I rented two motorbikes and while riding on a beach road there, we were stopped by a hotel employee, telling us we couldn't pass, as the hotel owned the road and the entire beach.
It was my first visit to Thailand, so I just believed them.
 

[Soidog]

6 hours ago, Marc26 said:

I have said that forever

I think Thailand has a horrible beach life atmosphere

They either have what you explained or places like Samui where the whole beach is covered and you can't actually see the beach

That is the exact reason I like Kamala

I am going to Koh Lanta for 1st time and hoping that is ok for beach life

I love Koh Lanta. One of my favourite places in Thailand. Not been for 4 years so will look to go back this year for sure. Hope the trip goes well and be interested to hear what you think. 

[Soidog]

2 hours ago, Bluesofa said:

The only time I've ever been to Phuket was almost 35 years ago.
A friend and I rented two motorbikes and while riding on a beach road there, we were stopped by a hotel employee, telling us we couldn't pass, as the hotel owned the road and the entire beach.
It was my first visit to Thailand, so I just believed them.
 

There’s  a fantastic little beach called Ao Sane beach near Nai Harn beach. You have to pass through what use to be Le Meridian hotel car park. It’s now called the Nai Harn Phuket hotel. Most people would think it’s a no through road or a private beach of the hotel. It’s neither and a nice quiet spot usually. Google maps link below:

Ao Sane Beach
https://maps.app.goo.gl/cc5DnAeUueFYgihu8?g_st=ic

[Bluesofa]

1 hour ago, Soidog said:

There’s  a fantastic little beach called Ao Sane beach near Nai Harn beach. You have to pass through what use to be Le Meridian hotel car park. It’s now called the Nai Harn Phuket hotel. Most people would think it’s a no through road or a private beach of the hotel. It’s neither and a nice quiet spot usually. Google maps link below:

Ao Sane Beach
https://maps.app.goo.gl/cc5DnAeUueFYgihu8?g_st=ic

Thanks for the info. I'd have no idea if it could have been the same beach? Perhaps it was.
Like I said it was so long ago, and the only time I've ever been to Phuket.

I see google lists the link as "Popular for snorkeling & diving, this 200-m. beach offers a restaurant, shower & toilet facilities."
Now it doesn't bother me at all, but I was under the impression no one could own or rent any beach in Thailand, so how it has the above, I don't know.
I'd have to guess the 'toilet facilities' must discharge directly into the sea?

[Marc26]

2 hours ago, Soidog said:

There’s  a fantastic little beach called Ao Sane beach near Nai Harn beach. You have to pass through what use to be Le Meridian hotel car park. It’s now called the Nai Harn Phuket hotel. Most people would think it’s a no through road or a private beach of the hotel. It’s neither and a nice quiet spot usually. Google maps link below:

Ao Sane Beach
https://maps.app.goo.gl/cc5DnAeUueFYgihu8?g_st=ic

I've been going to Phuket for 18 years and lived there for a bit 

 

And embarrassingly I've only been to all the main beach areas from Bang Tao down to Rawa

I'm in Kamala on March 1st and I plan a couple scooter rides to the beaches in the North near airport and on the East Coast 

[Grumpish]

Never been a big fan of dining on the beach - unless my legs are plastered with insect repellent they always end up covered in sandfly bites (I am a mosquito magnet as well).

[Soidog]

9 hours ago, Bluesofa said:

Thanks for the info. I'd have no idea if it could have been the same beach? Perhaps it was.
Like I said it was so long ago, and the only time I've ever been to Phuket.

I see google lists the link as "Popular for snorkeling & diving, this 200-m. beach offers a restaurant, shower & toilet facilities."
Now it doesn't bother me at all, but I was under the impression no one could own or rent any beach in Thailand, so how it has the above, I don't know.
I'd have to guess the 'toilet facilities' must discharge directly into the sea?

I’m not sure about ownership. It looks like a normal public beach in that there’s no signs to suggest it being a private beach and certainly no charge to go on it. They’re a typical ramshackled looking restaurant with dodgy looking toilets. Couldn’t say if they discharge in to the sea. There was certainly nothing obvious hanging around!
 

The beers were cold and the seafood was very nice and a fair price. The road after the hotel is single track and although tarmac has plenty of potholes to avoid.  Well worth a visit should you or anyone else be in the area. 

[Soidog]

9 hours ago, Marc26 said:

I've been going to Phuket for 18 years and lived there for a bit 

And embarrassingly I've only been to all the main beach areas from Bang Tao down to Rawa

I'm in Kamala on March 1st and I plan a couple scooter rides to the beaches in the North near airport and on the East Coast 

Take a look. Scooters are perhaps more suited to the road after the hotel than a car.

[Marc26]

5 hours ago, Soidog said:

Take a look. Scooters are perhaps more suited to the road after the hotel than a car.

Ao Sane was already on my list

 

Thanks for info..........

 

may take a quick ferry ride over to Ko Yao Yai as well one day......

[Manu]

On 2/6/2023 at 3:27 PM, Marc26 said:

I have said that forever

I think Thailand has a horrible beach life atmosphere

They either have what you explained or places like Samui where the whole beach is covered and you can't actually see the beach

That is the exact reason I like Kamala

I am going to Koh Lanta for 1st time and hoping that is ok for beach life

And on which beaches have you been the last 18 years apart from Phuket and Samui to say "Thailand has a horrible beach life atmosphere" ? Well not Koh Lanta...great beach atmosphere there for a start, I hope you'll change your mind there.  If we talk about Phuket and Samui (athough Samui has a couple of nice beaches not at all as you described I found when I went there 6 years ago), or even Hua Hin, Pattaya (Jomtien beach atmosphere is not that bad if you are into city beaches),... I would agree... But from Trad province near the Cambodian border, and of course all Trad province islands, all the way down south to Songkhla, I have visited at least a good 3 dozens of beaches with a fantastic life atmosphere in their own ways. I love life on the beach so this is definitely a subject I know about. And also one of the main reasons I live on Koh Chang, where beach life atmosphere is definitely the opposite of what you described...like soooooo many other beaches spread over 3200km of coast and on over 1400 islands in Thailand. Just need to get around a bit...

[Marc26]

41 minutes ago, Manu said:

And on which beaches have you been the last 18 years apart from Phuket and Samui to say "Thailand has a horrible beach life atmosphere" ? Well not Koh Lanta...great beach atmosphere there for a start, I hope you'll change your mind there.  If we talk about Phuket and Samui (athough Samui has a couple of nice beaches not at all as you described I found when I went there 6 years ago), or even Hua Hin, Pattaya (Jomtien beach atmosphere is not that bad if you are into city beaches),... I would agree... But from Trad province near the Cambodian border, and of course all Trad province islands, all the way down south to Songkhla, I have visited at least a good 3 dozens of beaches with a fantastic life atmosphere in their own ways. I love life on the beach so this is definitely a subject I know about. And also one of the main reasons I live on Koh Chang, where beach life atmosphere is definitely the opposite of what you described...like soooooo many other beaches spread over 3200km of coast and on over 1400 islands in Thailand. Just need to get around a bit...

You shouldn't assume things.....

A good beach atmosphere is theexception and not the norm, I'm my experience 

And yes Koh Lanta does look to have the beach atmosphere I prefer

 

I know you mentioned moving to Mexico, I think

 

I don't think Thailand comes close to having the beach atmosphere that places in Central America like Mexico and Costa Rica have

 

 

By the way 

When I talk about "beach atmosphere" I don't only mean the actual beach

 

I also mean the whole area having a beach town feel and I don't know one beach area that I've been to that has that 

 

Where you can be 2 or 3 streets off the beach and it still feels like you are "at the beach"

 

I don't know if that will make sense to others