Karon Municipality files complaints against illegal beach vendors

Karon Municipality has begun filing complaints against vendors found operating illegally at Kata Beach, Pak Bang Road and Karon Beach, its Public Health and Environment Division said.

The municipality said the action is being taken under Section 42, Paragraph 2 of the Public Health Act B.E. 2535 (1992), which prohibits the sale of goods in public places or on public roads without permission from local authorities.

According to the municipality, the legal action follows inspections that began in February and repeat follow-up checks since then. In inspections on Apr 1 and 2 at Kata Beach, officials found 45 businesses operating without the required permits. The municipality said those businesses had previously been told to stop trading in an official warning letter dated Feb 26.

A further inspection on Apr 3 along Pak Bang Rd, which runs parallel to Kata Beach, also found vendors continuing to operate without permission.

Additional inspections on Apr 29 and 30, and again on May 5, found 42 businesses operating illegally along Karon Beach. Municipal officials said those vendors had also received written notices dated Feb 26 ordering them to cease trading because they did not have permission from local authorities.

The Public Health and Environment Division said it is now proceeding with legal action against businesses that failed to comply with the municipality’s orders.

The enforcement campaign is part of Karon Municipality’s ongoing effort to regulate the use of public spaces and ensure vendors comply with public health and local government regulations. Officials have not yet said when the legal proceedings will be completed or what penalties individual offenders may face.