Phuket’s luxury tourism scene has been abuzz by allegations of racial discrimination. This came after several Indian tourists complained of not being allowed into the world-famous Yona Beach Club, pushing the narrative around Phuket's hospitality into a racial row. The controversy, first reported following a detailed Instagram post by Goa-based musician Jonas Monteiro, has since grown into an internationally heated debate on social media.
According to Jonas, it happened on January 19 when his group came for their reservation with valid tickets. Despite their confirmation of the booking, security personnel is said to have stopped the group at the gate. Jonas argued that bouncers first claimed entry was only allowed for groups with women within-a condition he affirms was never revealed during the time of booking. The female friend in his group, Jonas added, who had her own valid ticket, got turned away on a different pretext-that her booking was under another name.
In a further allegation in his post, Jonas claimed to have overheard staff saying explicitly, "Don’t let any Indians enter," while stating other Indian couples were told they "don’t look good enough" for the venue. After the group challenged the refusal, the manager reportedly cancelled their tickets and immediately refunded 12,000 baht.
Yona Beach Club has, in turn, released a strong statement refuting the claims. In a statement, the club expressed a differing view on the matter, citing the fact that the Indian community is one of the most represented on the club's boat. "Our policy is part of our crowd management strategy and may change depending on the time of the year." They clarified that the rules on entry into the club are meant to ensure a balanced ratio of men and women, and not any race or ethnicity.
However, some of the netizens lent support to Jonas while others opined that one of the probable reasons for adopting a tough entry policy for tourists could be some past occurrences of disruptive tendencies amongst tourist groups. The viral videos of the clash continue to draw attention from netizens.
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