Your article is coming to the right time as many industrial estates have been devastated by flooding with some will get insurance compensations but many will go bankruptcy for lack of cash-flow to restart again.

Anyway, insurance companies will not reinsure easily the factories if they want to rebuilt factories at the same places; so large companies will have to move to safer places in Thailand or to other countries to protect their huge investments.

When we got the 2004 tsunami, European delegates and local politicians were more interested to rebuilt the fishing industry which has destroyed in few years all fish-stocks and natural assets in marine national parks and cheap housing estates for poor people that rebuilding the Andaman Sea economy with 2 or 3 large industrial estates to give better paid-jobs and provide better education to low-educated southern Thais.

Today it is time to claim from the central government a shift in investments for large industrial estates to come in the Andaman Sea at places as Ranong, Thap Lamuk, Phuket, Trang and Satun with deep-sea-ports, fast tracks for railway and expressway all along the Andaman Coast.

Posted by Whistle-Blower on October 25, 2011 09:55

Whistle-Blower, you forgot one thing. If industrial estates open on the Andaman coast, you can bet there will be no more reefs and no more fish near the coast due to the pollution, and dive companies will be out of business. That includes you.

Posted by Horatio on October 25, 2011 14:58

Infrastructure is key. The plains around Bangkok are THE heartland of Thailand. Drainage was not a priority but will be. That can be done in a not too big effort. I mean big yes, but in comparison to bring industry and the city elsewhere rather small. People build cities on earthquake rims for a reason, so what's a little water? Its always a trade-off. And the case for Bangkok where it is, is quite a good one.

Again, the infrastructure is key. Bangkok and the plains is where excess capital for growth is being made. Bangkok controls the entry to Thailand's powerhouse, its own hinterland. Here is the music playing. Not hill ridden little islands like Phuket. Sure, Phuket can get a little clamour, but if you think Singapore for a second, you forget the strategic value of the islands locating Singapore. So face it: Phuket has no great geographical value, has no great resources value, has no great trading point value, has no great financial center value. Its surroundings cannot support a city of size or if, then only with big subventions from the rest of Thailand.

Phuket is already chocking on traffic, garbage, in need of fresh water etc. More tourism yes, more convention centers oh yes. But much more I seriously doubt. No money for a Dubai.

So I would recommend a strong push for going green on Phuket. First all public transport only with electric vehicles, then later only e-scooters allowed. A building code with eco-friendly impact. Make Phuket the showcase for green living in Thailand.

The strength of Phuket is its appeal as holiday destination, its cheap labor from Burma, its magnetism on young Thais to work in the service industry here. There are a lot of "universities", aka training campuses, that could use some overhaul.

Maybe even declare Phuket a special zone for foreign ownership of land and houses. That would lead to a nice pump in wealthy europeans and asians coming to get a sound second home or retirement place.

This could start Greater Phuket to become a global retirement home, like Florida for the US. Build more and real top medical facilities, make it a world class body makeover and health destination. Get the arabs etc here for medical treatment plus relaxation.

These of course need one thing on the Thai side. Accountability and transparency. Aka no corruption in the head ranks. No bureaucratic paper monsters where no one knows any more the whole thing and nobody is responsible for any outcome.

Thailand also should consider this: its time with cheap Burmese craftsmanship may come to an end, as Burma seems to give some hope to its people. So no maybe not too long and no more cheap migrant workers from Burma. Right now, Thailand is reaping enormous benefits from millions of great workers in their best age from Burma, who nearly build all bridges, streets, houses etc pp, work in soup kitchen, tiny to big rubber plant farms, one might even say, who do the heavy lifting for Thailand. Which give the Thai industry the needed flexibility to expand and grow with no real costs for taking care if times get tough. That is a unique situation in Thai history, thanks to the crazy Burmese regime, which is in effect strengthening its arch enemy with its best labor cohort. If the Burmese go home, because life will look promising again there, then Thailand and Phuket should be at the next level already, better be.

Posted by Lena on October 25, 2011 16:24

A very well written article. It explains so many valid points as to why Phuket should be given a larger slice of the overall economy.

I would have sent this sooner except for a blackout and subsequent Internet interruption.

Unfortunately the infrastructure here on Phuket is way behind what is considered minimum in most developed or developing countries. It is not ready for expansion on a grand scale.

Whilst nepotism, greed, corruption, and lack of planning are allowed on the scale that persists today, with seemingly no favorable result in sight for the community as a whole, the future looks bleak indeed.

Admittedly the Airport is being expanded but has limited area available and will only cope with the existing demand for a very short period. They can't even open a bus station which is already built.

Public transport in Phuket is a mess. There is none or very little, especially where and when it is needed most, part of the reason why 700 new vehicles plus motorbikes are registered every month. There is not enough room on the roads for what exists at he moment, let alone more.

We hear a lot of talk about underpasses, overpasses, tunnels, rail links, plans for this and that, but nothing ever comes to fruition. All I have seen to be done is the installation of many unnecessary traffic lights (must be a good contract for someone) which do nothing other than to slowdown the traffic flow, not the individuals speed. It frustrates so many drivers who ignore the red, bingo, accident.

The road to Patong is another shining example of incompetence, dangerous and a disgrace. The Kata - Chalong road not much better. Take an alternative route ? There is none.

To sum it up, Phuket needs to get its own backyard and house in order before opening the front gate.

Posted by interested observer on October 25, 2011 18:15