PHUKET: The holiday island will soon have a new governor as well as a new minister for tourism and sport. Here are eight suggestions from Phuketwan on simple, effective ideas that can improve life on Phuket, Thailand's most prosperous and most international province.



MAKE SURE that the people you listen to when you arrive on Phuket are the people with Phuket's best interests at heart, not people whose wallets do the talking. Involve those who have no vested financial interest. Avoid at all costs the marketers who suggest that Phuket's problems will vanish with greater numbers of tourists and a simple three-word slogan.



PRESSURE the national government to take up the idea of making Phuket the first corruption-free province in Thailand. The ''Phuket model'' can then be rolled out to other provinces. Start the ball rolling by urging police and Immigration chiefs to appoint new staff to Phuket with a proven record of being corruption-free. Introduce new blood at the Land Titles Office.



THE LIMIT on building above the 80-metre mark was a great idea. Now the pace of construction needs to be slowed in other ways. Make it mandatory for new resorts, condos, businesses and villas on Phuket and in Phang Nga and Krabi to provide their own water supply and 20 percent of their own power. This will create a new era of environmentally-sensitive development, slowing growth to sustainable levels.



ESTABLISH regular meetings that include Phuket's honorary consuls, representatives of community organisations, school principals and leading administrators. Residents and the people who understand tourists and expats can work together to achieve a broader community approach aimed at empowering a new generation on Phuket able to cope with the demands of Asean and international involvement.



CALL IN the media to explain that Phuket's future depends on them spreading the message that Phuket needs a more thoughtful, considered approach to all aspects of dealing with tourism. For Phuket to progress in a world where new rivals are springing up all the time, people need to be accurately informed in a more thorough way. A narrow-minded media produces narrow-minded citizens.



MAKE IT mandatory for all children who arrive at and leave Phuket schools on motorcycles to be wearing a good-standard safety helmet.



URGE The Royal Thai Navy to take control of supervising the beaches of the Andaman under an Andaman Beach Authority. Organise for the Navy to also supervise the region's marine parks to ensure park rangers are scrupulously honest. Have the Navy also begin dealing with human trafficking in a more proactive way.



MARK the 10th anniversary of the 2004 tsunami by having Thailand award tsunami medals to the heroes and the volunteer helpers from around the world who dealt with the tragedy by showing some of the finest qualities of the human experience. Thailand needs to celebrate the deeds of the good people who showed the world how to overcome adversity with speed and compassion.