PHUKET: Department of Special Investigation officers are due on Phuket at 8am tomorrow to begin the first stage of a campaign aimed at cleaning up Phuket.

''Mafia gangs'' and Phuket taxis and jet-skis are now ''on the national agenda.''

DSI officers are expected to talk to officials at Phuket International Airport first about problems experienced there with taxis.

A group of taxi drivers from Cherng Talay are due to deliver a protest letter to officials at Phuket Provincial Hall about 10.30am, around the time that the DSI group is due there for more talks.

Precise details of the DSI's plan of attack may emerge tomorrow.

Illegal taxis and foreign businesses with nominee owners taking business from genuine Thai companies are seen as two of the areas for the campaign.

The DSI's arrival on Phuket comes in response to a request from Tourism Minister Somsak Pureesrisak.

The Minister has his own list of issues on Phuket that need fixing.

He took over the role at an appropriate time, just as ambassadors from the European Union and China were openly criticising safety and security for tourists on Phuket for the first time.

In one of his latest comments on the issue, Khun Somsak said: ''Tourist safety is now on the national agenda in particular a crackdown on mafia gangs in Phuket and Pattaya. Gangsters are now involved in businesses that affect tourists, particularly jet-skis and taxis.''

A clearer picture of what's likely to happen in the campaign should emerge in the next couple of days.



.. An efficient and fairly priced public transport system in Phuket which is available to foreign tourists and residents alike.

.. An end to intimidatory and violent behavior by an element of tuk-tuk and taxi drivers.

.. Strict enforcement of marine safety standards, including flags on beaches to indicate when it is safe to swim.

.. Strict enforcement of standards of behavior for public officials, including police and Immigration, to ensure that foreign visitors and residents feel protected, treated in a fair way and never at risk of extortion.

.. An end to scams involving hiring of equipment such as jet skis or motorbikes.

.. Strict enforcement of road safety regulations.

.. Promotion of environmental issues, including monitoring of water quality.




.. Increasing airport arrivals, poor infrastructure

.. Traffic

.. No controlling strategy, development occurring all over

.. Environmental degradation

.. Attacks on beaches and public land

.. Garbage mounting

.. Bad water

.. Tourists' and residents' safety and security

.. Rip-offs (timeshare touts etc.)

.. Tour guides

.. Authorities at odds with private sector

.. Taxis and jet-skis

.. Zero baht tours




Corruption Start a well-promoted public campaign to end corruption on the island and prosecute any official caught taking bribes. Investigate all allegations about Immigration officers and police. Create a corruption-free Phuket model for other provinces.

Sustainability Begin an investigation into what's required to keep Phuket a natural and appealing destination and set limits on development and tourist numbers based on the results of that investigation. Save the reefs and the beaches. Create a Phuket Beach Authority.

Transport Require all tuk-tuk and taxi drivers to register again and to meet international standards of service before being given new licences. Reduce their numbers by 10 percent a year for three years, offering alternative training. Introduce a call centre and abolish double-payment for journeys passengers don't make.

Crime Provide an extra 500 police for Phuket based on its actual population. Take up the Australian ambassador's suggestion of obliterating all illegal weapons and make the island a no-guns, no-knives zone.