TWO honorary consuls have asked Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha to make improvements so his next meeting with Phuket's envoys is able to achieve more.

The honorary consul for Norway, Pornphan Sittichaivijit, and the honorary consul for the Czech Republic, Anurak Tansiriroj, told the Governor yesterday that the quarterly meetings between envoys and Phuket's administrative leaders were achieving useful progress on Phuket's key issues.

But tourists' unhappiness with rip-offs, with tuk-tuks and with jet-skis needed to be more widely understood.

Khun Pornphan and Khun Anurak told the governor that the Thai media would be able to report more fully on events and the outlook of the honorary consuls if the English-Thai translation improved, and if an agenda was released in advance of meetings in both English and Thai.

The two envoys made the point that they were speaking personally, and that they had not consulted the other honorary consuls before visiting the governor.

Phuket's Police Commander, Major General Pekad Tantipong, has become the contact person for all cases where visitors or expat residents are involved in alleged crimes, either as perpetrators or as victims.

Major General Pekad has introduced a comprehensive updating list of expat deaths on Phuket that has dispelled island myths about the causes and the number of deaths - although attempts are still made from time to time to exaggerate them.

A list of expats involved in crimes as victims or perpetrators is also updated each three months.

The fifth meeting at Provincial Hall in Phuket City in February produced some lively exchanges between honorary consuls and defenders of high tuk-tuk prices and Phuket's jet-ski operators.

Some of the subtleties of the debate, however, were lost in translation.

If the Thai media had access in advance to case notes of individual problems experienced by tourists, then the issues are likely to be more widely understood.

Improvements in public transport, as requested by the honorary consuls, would clearly also benefit all residents of Phuket. The next gathering is due in May.

Thailand's Foreign Ministry is taking a close interest in the innovative summits and is considering the possibility of introducing similar gatherings in other tourist destinations in Thailand.