It was a brisk mid-morning sweep in Patong that had locals doing a double take: at 10:30 a.m. on September 10, officers from Patong Police Station set out on a determined mission to reclaim the public way. What began as routine patrolling along Rat Uthit 200 Pi Road in Kathu district quickly turned into a tidy-up operation aimed at one of Phuket’s most persistent urban nuisances — improvised kerbside parking claims.
Leading the charge was Police Colonel Chalermchai Hirasawat, flanked by senior officers including Police Lieutenant Colonel Somporn Surin and Pol. Lt. Col. Chamnan Sapsin, with the traffic unit under Pol. Lt. Col. Charuwat Thiamnakha coordinating movements. The scene was almost cinematic: officers methodically walking the pavement, inspecting each makeshift blockade, and removing anything that wasn’t meant to be on a public road.
The offenders, if you can call them that, were not human but a motley assembly of plastic chairs, rusty traffic cones, buckets, chained tyres and other everyday objects repurposed into claims staked on public kerbside spots. Locals and business owners have long used these improvised markers to ‘reserve’ space right outside their premises — a practice that will now face a sterner reality check.
“This is a public road. No one has the right to claim it for private use,” an officer told reporters as items were gathered and loaded into police vehicles. The confiscated objects were taken back to Patong Police Station and logged as evidence, a clear signal that the authorities intend to treat repeat offenders seriously rather than merely scold them.
The crackdown didn’t come out of the blue. It followed a steady stream of complaints from motorists and tourists frustrated by dwindling access to public parking. For months, residents had been improvising claims — sometimes out of convenience, sometimes to help their businesses — but the side effect was predictable: snarled traffic, blocked pedestrian walkways and rising annoyance among visitors trying to navigate the bustling district.
Officers took the opportunity not only to remove the obstructions but to educate shopkeepers and residents about the legal implications. They cited traffic regulations that explicitly prohibit placing any object that obstructs vehicle or pedestrian movement. In short: a chair on the kerb is not a legal claim ticket.
“We’re making it clear that placing objects to reserve parking is against the law. This is just the beginning. We will keep clearing the roads so everyone has equal access,” another officer said, emphasizing that the operation is part of a wider, ongoing effort.
The officers’ message was practical as well as principled. Public spaces are just that — public. When a small piece of pavement becomes someone’s private parking extension, it erodes access for everyone, including emergency vehicles, delivery drivers, and the many pedestrians who stroll Patong’s busy lanes. The police urged citizens to report illegal obstructions through the Patong Police Station hotline or its social media channels, promising prompt follow-up.
For the average visitor, the clean-up is welcome news. Tourists who arrived expecting sandy beaches, street food and postcard views have sometimes found their patience tested by kerbside dramas. For residents, the operation is the start of a push toward fairer, safer streets — one that balances local convenience with the rights of everyone who uses Patong’s public ways.
There was also a subtle reminder hidden in the logistics of the day: improving access doesn’t require dramatic measures. The enforcement team stuck to removing objects and issuing warnings, collecting evidence where necessary. The idea is to nudge the community toward voluntary compliance rather than escalate conflicts.
Patong Police have warned that similar operations will continue throughout the area in the coming weeks. Those who have claimed spaces with chairs, bins or ropes would be wise to take note: the authorities are prepared to act, and they’re not shy about hauling contraband traffic cones back to the station.
Whether you’re a business owner protecting a delivery slot, a homeowner parking outside your gate, or a tourist circling for a spot, the takeaway is simple: leave the public road public. If you see something blocking the pavement or the kerb, Patong Police encourage you to report it via their hotline or their social media pages so the matter can be dealt with promptly.
As the afternoon sun climbed higher over Phuket, Rat Uthit 200 Pi Road looked noticeably clearer. The plastic chairs and chained tyres were gone, and for a little while at least, the pavement belonged to everyone again.
Reported by: The Phuket News
Good to see the police doing something about the chairs and cones that block the street. This has made parking a nightmare and slowed down emergency vehicles before. I hope they keep it up and fine repeat offenders.
Finally — enough of these impromptu private parking spots. People treat public space like their backyard and get upset when enforcement happens.
Exactly, Nadia. It’s not about being mean to shop owners, it’s about fairness for everyone. If someone needs a delivery spot they should ask the municipality for a proper loading bay.
You can’t expect small businesses to survive without a place to offload goods, though.
I sympathize with business owners but public safety matters more. A chained tyre could delay an ambulance by minutes.
And minutes can be the difference between life and death — that’s not hyperbole, it’s fact.
As a cafe owner on Rat Uthit 200 Pi, I worry that rigid enforcement without alternatives will hurt small shops. We need designated loading/unloading slots, not just confiscation and fines.
The law supports equal access to public ways, but municipalities also have the duty to provide practical solutions. A simple policy fix could include time-limited loading zones and permits.
That’s the kind of sensible approach I’m asking for. Enforcement plus infrastructure would be fair.
From a visitor’s view it was chaotic and embarrassing; I had to walk around cones to get to the beach.
This reeks of performative policing to make tourists happy. Where’s the long-term plan?
It may look performative but public complaints led to this. If locals had better parking, they wouldn’t resort to chairs and cones.
So fix the parking first, then enforce. Don’t punish people without giving a solution.
Sometimes a visible action is needed to change behaviour; gentle nudges don’t always work.
I posted earlier but this time I want to say: police should issue warnings and help coordinate a schedule for deliveries before towing people’s markers.
Patong Police are documenting and warning first; repeated violations will be acted on. We welcome constructive proposals from businesses for loading solutions.
Thanks for clarifying, OfficerPatong. If you coordinate with the merchants association, it could defuse tension.
Coordination is good but it can’t be just lip service. Merchants have seen promises before and nothing changed.
I’m happy — as a parent I don’t want cars creeping onto the pavement where kids walk. That chair nonsense is dangerous.
Safety matters but enforcement should be predictable. Tourists get angry when their car is blocked, and that hurts the local economy.
Predictability comes from rules and enforcement, not chaos. If businesses want exceptions they should apply for them formally.
This is a classic commons problem: privatization of shared resources through low-cost markers. The state must reclaim the commons but also design better access systems.
Couldn’t agree more — parking economics show that assigning a small fee or permit can eliminate selfish reservation behaviour. Free-for-all leads to inefficiency.
Fees work if implemented transparently and fairly; otherwise they become another form of exclusion.
Fees also risk pricing out small vendors — policy design must balance all sides.
I saw them hauling away a bunch of orange cones — felt satisfying. But what about the locals who depend on quick parking to run their shops?
As someone who runs errands with kids, I support clearing the pavement. But maybe allow short-term exemptions during certain hours.
Short-term exemptions could be a decent compromise, as long as they are enforced and not abused.
This seems petty to target chairs instead of tackling larger issues like illegal development. Are we missing bigger culprits?
I get that, but small things add up and affect daily life. Removing chairs is low-hanging fruit to restore normalcy.
Low-hanging fruit helps optics, but residents want systemic change on bigger planning problems too.
Hope they don’t start charging people for every little thing. Heavy-handed fines could hurt the average family.
Tourism drives enforcement here — can’t pretend it’s only about safety. The town looks cleaner for visitors and that sells the destination.