The ruling NCPO (National Council for Peace and Order) in Thailand has put operations in place to clean up Phuket’s beaches.

The country’s largest island and a huge magnet for tourism, Phuket has suffered from squatters occupying its beaches with sunbeds, umbrellas and tables, while setting up stalls to sell various items to passers-by. The developments are helping return Phuket’s beaches to their former glory, when picture-perfect arcs of golden sand were visible. The removal of obstructions has opened up the beach creating more room for families to set up picnics and visitors to enjoy. The beaches in Cherng Talay were first on the list in part of the NCPO ‘clean up’ operation. Plans have also been drawn up and officers deployed to re-zone the beachfront in order to combat future encroachment, starting with Kamala beach.

Phuket is home to a selection of the world’s most spectacular beaches, graced with powder-soft sand and beautiful palm trees framed against a backdrop of rolling hills covered in lush jungle. Discover these newly rejuvenated beaches with Destination Asia as we explore Phuket, its history, the Andaman Sea and beyond.