PHUKET: Phuket needs an action committee to drive essential changes and preserve the Phuket tourism industry, Phuket Vice Governor Dr Sommai Preechasin was told this week.

The suggestion came from the honorary consul of the Czech Republic, Anurak Tansiriroj, who had a key role in establishing Phuket's regular honorary consuls' meetings.

Khun Anurak, who believes that the three-monthly meetings between honorary consuls and Phuket administrators should be ''the wind beneath Phuket's wings,'' told Dr Sommai that the good ideas from the gatherings need to be acted upon.

Many of the issues in tourism were ''very sensitive'' and those problems that were too sifficult for local authorities to address needed Bangkok's involvement, he said.

''Those who cause these issues to make international headlines are small in number but they have a big affect on Phuket,'' he said.

''What we need is to end the rip-offs and make sure everyone abides by international standards.''

The regular honorary consuls' meetings, in place for two years, had achieved some small reforms but larger ones were needed, Khun Anurak said. Law enforcement of jet-ski disputes and problems with tuk-tuks were never carried out in100 percent of cases, Khun Anurak said.

There was clearly a need for Phuket to have a larger budget and more police but police should nevertheless act on all cases that were brought to their attention, he said.

Khun Anurak said Phuket desperately needed a proper public transport network, not just for tourists but for residents as well. Issues such as bad water going into the sea and the degradation of beaches needed attention, he said.

Phuket needed a second highway from north to south to run alongside the Thepkasattri Road artery.

Dr Sommai said she would talk to Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha about the concept of an ''action committee'' to pursue Phuket's urgent reforms.