PHUKET people were reluctant to give up plastic bags or adopt recycling, the Governor, Wichai Praisa-Ngob, told two of the country's top environmental agencies yesterday.

He said he was keen to help with their suggestion of a ''Green Phuket'' campaign but change was difficult because people loved the convenience of plastic.

Garbage was a huge problem on Phuket, he told Dr Supachai Lorlowhakarn, Director of the National Innovation Agency, and Orapin Wongchumpit, Director General, Department of Environment, Quality Promotion.

''How can we make Phuket greener?'' the governor asked them.
He said the island had very little budgetary support for changes from Bangkok.

The two visitors were keen to have bioplastic bags, degradable and less harmful to the environment, introduced on Phuket and wanted the governor to approve the plan.

Dr Supachai said he was keen to start teaching children at school how to dispose of garbage properly. Food scraps, for example, buried in a bioplastic bag, would become organic matter again quite speedily.

Separating different kinds of rubbish was a good way to start. That would help immediately to decrease the stockpile of Phuket garbage, he said.

The governor said it was difficult to act because the powers required to adopt these kinds of actions resided with ministries in Bangkok.

Khun Wichai said the concept had his support but recommended that Dr Supachai talk directly with Phuket City mayor, Somjai Suwanpana.

Khun Orapin said campaigns in other parts of Thailand had worked very well and there was not reason why Phuket could not make these changes also work.

Big hotels in Bangkok had been keen to try the changes, she said. Now 7-Eleven stores were also becoming involved.

The idea is to try to wean people off plastic bags entirely.

''Because it is so international, Phuket is the perfect place to start these kinds of ideas,'' she said.

She asked for Phuket people to take part in the national campaign running from April 22 to June 8 to decrease plastic bags.

Many tourists who who in their home countries now bring their own reusable bags to supermarkets are surprised to find plastic bags still being used in such large quantities on ''environmentally aware'' Phuket.

Local supermarkets have yet to set the pace for change by charging for plastic bags.