CHALONG PIER seems such a peaceful place but there's a little tension behind the scenes. And as in so many cases on the island, it's all about money.

The Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (Orborjor) has prematurely taken back management of the pier from a private contractor, Choke Aree Tour Co Ltd.

Under an 18-month deal, the company was to collect boat berthing fees, car parking fees and toilet fees, clean the pier environs and run the free trolley service to the end of the pier and back.

But the contract has been suspended since August 1, although it had two more months to run.

The company employed 25 people to work in shifts from 6am to midnight, and the Orborjor paid 300,000 baht a month in maintenance and management fees.

The company returned to the Orborjor the fees it collected. Parking a boat at the pier will cost you 100 baht while you will be charged 20 baht for the first hour for parking a car.

According to the company, in the high season month of December, as much as 800,000 baht went back to the Orborjor.

But in the low season, the amount collected bounces around and sometimes goes below 300,000 baht.

So the Orborjor has pulled the plug and will run the pier itself through August to see how much money it can collect. Then at the start of September, the Chalong contract will again be put up for tender, from October 1.

The Orborjor reckons it can rack up 17,000 baht a day in fees. We will keep you posted.


ANOTHER big announcement can be expected in a few weeks from Royal Phuket Marina. Coming up: a new five-star luxury resort for the island.

RPM Chairman Gulu Lalvani has been gradually carrying his development of Royal Phuket Marina forward, step by step.

After announcing on August 5 that the new conference and exhibition centre will be ready to open on December 4, Phuketwan asked the chairman about the large space that has been set aside for a resort.

Given his reputation for getting things done, wasn't it about time that he got that moving? (We didn't quite put it like that, but that's what we meant.)

''We are discussing the building of a five-star hotel here and we have three potential hotel operators,'' he told Phuketwan.

''It's not finalised. We have not signed the contract, that's why I don't want to talk about it.

''By the end of the month, we will know.''

Phuketwan predicts the arrival of a new brand on the island, with possibly two luxury resorts in the package.


INVESTMENT in resorts dropped considerably worldwide in the first half of 2008, with the Americas experiencing an 81 percent nose-dive.

The next worst was Asia Pacific, where levels dropped by 67 percent, followed by Europe, Middle East and Africa, which dropped by 59 percent.

For now at least, the investment in resorts on Phuket and along the Andaman seems to be bucking the trend.

Strong demand is reported in key markets like France, Germany and Italy.

There is a noticeable increase in investor interest in emerging markets like Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey and Russia.

It will be a sign that the depth of the global downturn has reached a new level if some of the big brands start to delay or cancel their plans for rapid expansion.

The boom in travel over the past five years has sparked huge investment by airlines and resort chains.

Airlines worldwide have already felt the crunch, although some are going ahead with launches of new brands and purchases of new aircraft.

With income from existing resorts declining, being too highly geared toward expansion could start to hurt some resort companies.

Deep pockets are required in troubled times, especially at five-star resorts.


FOR ANYONE who thinks the world's economic woes may be short-lived, here's a salutary statistic: 10 million homes in the US are now sitting vacant, and some are selling for less than half of their mortgage value.

Trillions more dollars are tied up in ''risky asset'' categories. Our sound economic advice: don't throw that recovery party just yet.

Look for every day, Monday to Friday, at Phuketwan. It's essential reading.

To tell us your news, email bigislandmedia@gmail.com or telephone 081 6513489.

Latest from Phuketwan:

August 5
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July 30
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July 29
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July 28
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Look for every day, Monday to Friday, at Phuketwan. It's essential reading.

To tell us your news, email bigislandmedia@gmail.com or telephone 081 6513489.