In Ha Tinh province , at Thien Cam beach tourist area, locals are occupying sidewalks and public spaces to park cars and motorbikes, charging tourists fees despite not having been granted permission.
On the evening of April 29th, hundreds of tourist cars were parked bumper-to-bumper along the sidewalks of Phuc Hai Street in Thien Cam town and Tan Hai Street in Cam Nhuong commune, Cam Xuyen district. Along both sides of the road, stretching for dozens of meters, there were numerous makeshift parking areas where locals hung signs reading "car parking" on trees or lampposts. Whenever a car or motorbike pulled up, someone would immediately approach, speak to the driver, and issue a ticket. The driver had to pay when they picked up their vehicle to leave.
An unauthorized parking area on Tan Hai Street, Cam Nhuong Commune, in the Thien Cam tourist area. Photo: Duc Hung.
Each car parked at the makeshift parking areas in Thien Cam beach tourist area has to pay 20,000 VND, and motorbikes 10,000 VND. On some small streets in this area, many families also put up parking signs on the sidewalk right in front of their houses.
One tourist said that while driving, they saw many people waving them over to park, and then immediately started charging a fee. This was "quite surprising," because previously, tourists could park on the sidewalk a few hundred meters from the beach and then walk back to swim and enjoy the scenery. "Only when using the parking lot set up by the authorities do you have to pay," the tourist said.
Mr. Hoang Xuan Huong, Head of the Thien Cam Tourist Area Management Board, said that currently there is only one paid parking area for cars and motorbikes, spanning hundreds of square meters, located inside Phuc Hai Street in Thien Cam town. There is no policy yet to allow people to rent sidewalks on other streets for parking.
Cars are parked bumper-to-bumper on the sidewalk of Phuc Hai Street, an area designated by the authorities as a beverage selling point and not permitted for use as a parking lot. Photo: Duc Hung
According to Mr. Huong, the management board had previously planned to submit a proposal to Cam Xuyen district to allow residents to register some sidewalks on roads surrounding the Thien Cam tourist area to use as parking spaces for tourists. The purpose of this was not for commercial purposes, but to generate revenue to cover expenses such as electricity, water, and security personnel. However, this matter needs further discussion and has not yet been implemented.
The sidewalks of Phuc Hai and Tan Hai streets are planned to be used as beverage stalls and places for tourists to relax, and "cannot be arbitrarily turned into parking lots," Mr. Huong said, adding that during the April 30th - May 1st holiday, Thien Cam is crowded with tourists, and the unit has limited personnel, making it difficult to control everything. "We will rectify the situation," he said.
Mr. Ha Van Binh, Chairman of Cam Xuyen district, said that officials would be sent to inspect the situation and strictly punish anyone who violates regulations.
Tourists swim at Thien Cam beach, afternoon of April 29th. Photo: Duc Hung
Thien Cam Beach in Cam Xuyen district, nearly 4 km long, boasts a flat sandy shore, clear blue water, and gentle waves, making it one of the most beautiful beaches in North Central Vietnam. During the first three days of this year's holiday, Thien Cam tourist area welcomed over 60,000 visitors, averaging 18,000-20,000 visitors per day. Currently, 8,000 guests are staying overnight, with hotels consistently fully booked.
Source: https://vnexpress.net/via-he-bien-thien-cam-bi-chiem-dung-lam-bai-giu-xe-4740449.html
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