Today's Updating Phuketwan News
RESORTS on the north of Phuket will benefit from the big Asia Regional Forum to be held on the island from July 16-23.
The event will centre on the Sheraton Grand Laguna Phuket but contingents among the 2000 overseas visitors from 26 countries will also stay at the JW Marriott, the Indigo Pearl, the Courtyard at Surin and the Amora Beach.
As well as officials from the US, Russia, China, Japan and South Korea, hundreds of others and media from within Thailand will also have to be accommodated.
The six resorts within the Laguna Phuket sanctuary will be the beneficiary of 800 of the guests, with the remainder being shared among the other resorts at Mai Khao, Bang Tao and Surin.
Logistical problems in dealing with large numbers of VIPs are sizeable: officials told a meeting at Provincial Hall today that as many as 350 police cars would have to be provided.
That creates traffic and parking problems, on a grand scale. There are plenty of security issues being worked through, too.
The permanent secretaries of the 10 Asean countries will stage a meeting within the conferences on July 17-18.
On July 19, the Asean Foreign Ministers are to gather.
Deputations from at least five of the countries are expected to arrive by special aircraft.
At some point, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will join, most likely for the July 19 gathering of Foreign Ministers.
A gala dinner will be held at FantaSea in Kamala on July 22.
The week-long gathering will be a rehearsal for the long-delayed 16-nation Asean Plus Six Summit, rescheduled for October, which is still expected to be held in the south of Phuket, centred on the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa at Karon.
Surrounding resorts in the south would also benefit. But as the recent history of the Asean Summit attests, there can be no guarantees just yet.
Countries to be represented at the July gathering are: Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, China, European Union, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste, US and Vietnam.
The Thai army will be in charge of security with two circles for checks around the summit centre, one at three kilometres and the other at five kilometres.
Army personnel will also guard the summit area itself. Some VIP leaders will be able to bring their own armed security.
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