PHUKET: The Governor of Phuket is being asked to intervene and cancel a plan for a ''Hollwood movie museum'' that has been proposed for a precious natural shorefront at a Phuket beach.
Residents remain angry at plans to axe a glade of trees on the popular Nai Harn shorefront to make way for the concrete and glass construction.
Any talk of a compromise is likely to be howled down.
A less intrusive building is being proposed but already a network of locals and expats is in place and prepared to respond immediately to save the trees if constructors with chain saws are spotted.
''There is no possibility of compromise,'' one expat activist said, preferring to remain anonymous. ''We don't want this tacky movie museum on Nai Harn's beautiful foreshore.''
Budget for the 40 million baht project was made available earlier this year by the Tourism Ministry.
The idea of destroying an internationally-renowned beauty spot for a movie museum has added a local element to the enduring arm-wrestle between developers and nature lovers.
Activists are asking whether the government in Bangkok understands that Nai Harn's present appeal to people who love nature would disappear under the museum's floorboards.
Thirty-two trees have been marked for destruction at Nai Harn, which earlier this year was listed among Asia's Top 10 Beaches by the popular travel site, TripAdvisor.
How the movie idea won the support of the Tourism Ministry and got so far that contracts are reported to have been signed for construction remains a riddle.
Even with the number of trees to be axed reduced, opposition to the project remains strong.
Rawai Mayor Aroon Soroj, who is said to have approved the site for the museum, has become difficult to contact but according to one unconfirmed report, aims to call a meeting of residents next week.
Local village chief Boonsom Ponlob said yesterday: ''If Phuket tourism is something these people wish to support, they could start by repairing the toilets, improving the car park and making everything safe and clean.''
He has sent a letter about the protest to Phuket Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada and the governor's Facebook page has been deluged with protest messages.
''A movie museum may well be something that Phuket should have - somewhere else,'' said chief Boonsom.
Talk of a compromise was out of the question, he said.
''It's not something we need at Nai Harn. Once the budget has been spent, who will take care of this? We all know what happens with these projects. Look at the Gateway.''
[The 50 million baht Gateway, build near the Tachatchai checkpoint entrance to Phuket, fails to attract more than a trickle of visitors.]
''We want this thing moved and we will resist any attempt to chop down any of our trees.''
The project has been given the go-ahead by Phuket authorities despite talk that Phuket needs to aim for a more natural appeal in future.
It confirms suspicions that the people now in charge of Phuket's beaches and shorefronts have little idea how to properly protect and manage them.
Residents remain angry at plans to axe a glade of trees on the popular Nai Harn shorefront to make way for the concrete and glass construction.
Any talk of a compromise is likely to be howled down.
A less intrusive building is being proposed but already a network of locals and expats is in place and prepared to respond immediately to save the trees if constructors with chain saws are spotted.
''There is no possibility of compromise,'' one expat activist said, preferring to remain anonymous. ''We don't want this tacky movie museum on Nai Harn's beautiful foreshore.''
Budget for the 40 million baht project was made available earlier this year by the Tourism Ministry.
The idea of destroying an internationally-renowned beauty spot for a movie museum has added a local element to the enduring arm-wrestle between developers and nature lovers.
Activists are asking whether the government in Bangkok understands that Nai Harn's present appeal to people who love nature would disappear under the museum's floorboards.
Thirty-two trees have been marked for destruction at Nai Harn, which earlier this year was listed among Asia's Top 10 Beaches by the popular travel site, TripAdvisor.
How the movie idea won the support of the Tourism Ministry and got so far that contracts are reported to have been signed for construction remains a riddle.
Even with the number of trees to be axed reduced, opposition to the project remains strong.
Rawai Mayor Aroon Soroj, who is said to have approved the site for the museum, has become difficult to contact but according to one unconfirmed report, aims to call a meeting of residents next week.
Local village chief Boonsom Ponlob said yesterday: ''If Phuket tourism is something these people wish to support, they could start by repairing the toilets, improving the car park and making everything safe and clean.''
He has sent a letter about the protest to Phuket Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada and the governor's Facebook page has been deluged with protest messages.
''A movie museum may well be something that Phuket should have - somewhere else,'' said chief Boonsom.
Talk of a compromise was out of the question, he said.
''It's not something we need at Nai Harn. Once the budget has been spent, who will take care of this? We all know what happens with these projects. Look at the Gateway.''
[The 50 million baht Gateway, build near the Tachatchai checkpoint entrance to Phuket, fails to attract more than a trickle of visitors.]
''We want this thing moved and we will resist any attempt to chop down any of our trees.''
The project has been given the go-ahead by Phuket authorities despite talk that Phuket needs to aim for a more natural appeal in future.
It confirms suspicions that the people now in charge of Phuket's beaches and shorefronts have little idea how to properly protect and manage them.
(moderated)
Posted by Elephants Gerald on November 14, 2015 09:31
Editor Comment:
If you don't like our reporting, Elephants, lumber off somewhere else. We're not interested in nit-pickers. Add value or you won't be published again.