'Five-star' beaches named

Adang Island Beach in Satun, Phi Phi Island's Long Beach and Bilae Beach on Krabi's Hong Island are the recipients of the government's first "Five-star Tourist Beach" titles, a senior official said yesterday.

The acting director-general of the Pollution Control Department (PCD), Monthip Srirattana Tabuganon, said the PCD has conducted an annual assessment of beach quality for four years now and most beaches received between three and four-and-a-half stars.

One hundred and five beaches - 31 beaches from Trat to Chon Buri, 38 along the Gulf of Thailand and 36 on the Andaman coast - were given between three and four-and-a-half stars, she said.

Regular four-star winners include Sai Kaew Beach on Rayong's Samet Island, Prachuap Khiri Khan's Hua Hin Beach, and Chaweng Beach on Surat Thani's Samui Island, while Chon Buri's Bang Saen Beach was elevated to three-and-a-half stars due to local authorities' improvement of the environment there.

Janjira Pongrai

The Nation

Considering the devastation caused by the Tsunami that`s pretty good going to get things back up and running so well.

Yes the authorities have done well in the last year or so to get things back to normal