ONE of Phuket's landmark buildings is to be taken over as the colonel who plans to put a helmet on every island motorcycle rider's head leads the return of local police to Old Phuket Town.
The historic Standard Chartered Bank property on the corner of Phuket and Phang Nga Roads is to reopen for business with a police information centre on the ground floor, and a Phuket police museum above it.
Returning to the building that local police once occupied in the Old Town, at the very heart of today's Phuket City, was the idea of Phuket City Superintendent Colonel Wanchai Eakpornpit. He suggested it to the Phuket City administration, and they quickly agreed.
Most of Phuket Old Town's historical buildings are now being restored or being eyed with a view for restoration as Phuket's oldest built-up area shakes off its disused and dowdy reputation.
A new and prospering nightlife zone has sprung up along Yaowarat Road nearby. The burying of eyesore wiring underground in Thalang Road and Soi Romanee, with a Phase II to take more wiring underground from August, heralds an era of happy snapping by tourist photographers.
Colonel Wanchai's strategic approach to dealing with Phuket's chronic motorcycle mishaps has already seen the concept adopted as ''the Phuket model'' for introduction to other parts of Thailand.
Colonel Wanchai brought local authorities and civic and community leaders on board and gave the residents of Phuket City plenty of warning about the crackdown on helmets. Residents in the Kathu-Patong area are now undergoing the same process of education, then all people in the area will be obliged to wear helmets.
The colonel organised the making of a realistic movie about Phuket's road toll to reinforce the message so that helmets will eventually be worn out of safety concerns rather than because of fear of a fine.
Statistics on deaths and injuries will be the true measure of success, but the number of helmets being worn on main roads during daylight in Phuket City has surprised even cynical observers.
Colonel Wanchai is not about to let up, although he was disappointed to have only 20 representatives of Phuket City's 300 bars, nightspots and karaokes turn up yesterday to a meeting about helmets and drugs, and the colonel's plan to enforce all laws more efficiently after dark.
The owners are likely to turn out in much, much greater numbers and in person when Colonel Wanchai extends a second invitation to them to hear what he has to say.
Phuketwan supports Mothers or Motorcycles (MoM) an action group that aims to reduce deaths and injuries on Phuket by encouraging the wearing of helmets and awareness of safety.
The historic Standard Chartered Bank property on the corner of Phuket and Phang Nga Roads is to reopen for business with a police information centre on the ground floor, and a Phuket police museum above it.
Returning to the building that local police once occupied in the Old Town, at the very heart of today's Phuket City, was the idea of Phuket City Superintendent Colonel Wanchai Eakpornpit. He suggested it to the Phuket City administration, and they quickly agreed.
Most of Phuket Old Town's historical buildings are now being restored or being eyed with a view for restoration as Phuket's oldest built-up area shakes off its disused and dowdy reputation.
A new and prospering nightlife zone has sprung up along Yaowarat Road nearby. The burying of eyesore wiring underground in Thalang Road and Soi Romanee, with a Phase II to take more wiring underground from August, heralds an era of happy snapping by tourist photographers.
Colonel Wanchai's strategic approach to dealing with Phuket's chronic motorcycle mishaps has already seen the concept adopted as ''the Phuket model'' for introduction to other parts of Thailand.
Colonel Wanchai brought local authorities and civic and community leaders on board and gave the residents of Phuket City plenty of warning about the crackdown on helmets. Residents in the Kathu-Patong area are now undergoing the same process of education, then all people in the area will be obliged to wear helmets.
The colonel organised the making of a realistic movie about Phuket's road toll to reinforce the message so that helmets will eventually be worn out of safety concerns rather than because of fear of a fine.
Statistics on deaths and injuries will be the true measure of success, but the number of helmets being worn on main roads during daylight in Phuket City has surprised even cynical observers.
Colonel Wanchai is not about to let up, although he was disappointed to have only 20 representatives of Phuket City's 300 bars, nightspots and karaokes turn up yesterday to a meeting about helmets and drugs, and the colonel's plan to enforce all laws more efficiently after dark.
The owners are likely to turn out in much, much greater numbers and in person when Colonel Wanchai extends a second invitation to them to hear what he has to say.
Phuketwan supports Mothers or Motorcycles (MoM) an action group that aims to reduce deaths and injuries on Phuket by encouraging the wearing of helmets and awareness of safety.
Shane and I are so pleased that the Colonel Wanchai is not letting up on the helmet enforcement. Phuket and the rest of Thailand will benefit from this in the long run. But most of all it will be the people, because people will be returning home to there love ones alive and well.
Thank you Phuketwan, you are doing a great job.
Shane & Monica(MoM)
Posted by monica on July 17, 2010 07:04