PHUKET: Patong Police have made another arrest for illegally selling fireworks on Patong Beach.
The offender, a young man, was arrested on Patong Beach at about 11:30pm on Saturday (July 15), Patong Police reported yesterday (July 17)
The arrest was made by a team of officers assigned to patrol the Bangla Rd area, led by Pol Capt Thongplew Kruehom.
Patong Police did not name the man arrested, but confirmed he had been charged with “selling or offering for sale of goods (fireworks) in a public place or way”.
However, the purge continues with Patong Police finding another stash of fireworks kept hidden among stacks of sun loungers put away for the day on the beach in front of the Patong Post Office.
The officers found the fireworks during a patrol of the beach at about 00:30am yesterday (July 17)
The officers found no persons nearby suspected of being the owners of the contraband, which was seized and taken back to Patong Police Station.
The campaign against fireworks and sky lanterns being sold illegally on Patong Beach continues following raids earlier this month. Those raids followed illegal fireworks suspected of causing a fire on the beach that resulted in a power outage along the Patong beachfront.
The campaign initiallly began in December last year when Kathu District Chief Siwat Rawarangkul ordered personnel from the Kathu branch of the Volunteer Defense Corps (OrSor) to carry out inspections on the beach to seize any fireworks and sky lanterns found and arrest any persons found selling them illegally on the beach.
Mr Siwat said the operation was launched following complaints that people were walking around on the beach selling sky lanterns and fireworks, annoying tourists and causing a safety concern.
“I would like to publicly admonish these people who bring firework and sky lanterns, or any other similar object, to sell on the beach ‒ and those who buy them and bring them to the beach themselves,” Mr Siwat said.
“The beach is a public place and the penalty for doing this is a fine of up to B60,000 or up to three years’ imprisonment, or both,” he said.
“In this regard, officers will conduct intensive checks on the beach every day,” Mr Siwat warned.
