PHUKET: Chinese Consul-General Xu Mingliang says a lot has changed on Phuket since he first visited in 1988. But he says it's a pity some other things have not changed - like the quality of the roads in Patong and the spaghetti hanging from power poles.
As Phuketwan reported back on March 29, the consul-general wants to shift the Chinese consulate from Had Yai to Phuket because of the vast numbers of Chinese tourists now visiting Phuket.
What's needed still is for the Phuket provincial government to send a letter requesting the transfer, he said.
And Mr Xu said he wants Chinese tourists to be looked after properly when they reach Phuket, Mr Xu told Vice Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada in a frank meeting at Provincial Hall in Phuket City.
The national government really should invest more on making Phuket appealing and safe, Mr Xu said.
Given that Chinese tourists are now coming in hundreds of thousands to Phuket, Mr Xu probably has more influence than most other envoys in pressing for changes.
What he wants to see is more Chinese language signs for tourists, beginning with Phuket International Airport. He would also like to see explanations of the lifeguard beach flag warnings in every room in every resort.
''Some of our people come from provinces where they have never had the chance to see the sea,'' Mr Xu said. ''They need to be told what to do as protection.''
He said that because Chinese tourists were from ''many levels of quality'' there would inevitably be times when tourists found themselves in trouble on Phuket.
''We aim to do what we can to inform people that arguing and disputes are not part of the culture on Phuket,'' he said.
He also said that the quality of equipment in some diving operatrions needed to be improved.
On what he had seen from video evidence, a Chinese woman who died in a diving incident off Phi Phi on March 11 died because of faulty oxygen equipment, he said.
''Many Chinese visitors enjoy snorkelling and diving,'' he added. ''We want them to be safe and we want all tourists visiting Phuket and the region to be safe.''
He said it was time perhaps for contracts to set out who takes responsibility for problems that occur, and who will pay compensation in such cases.
Proper insurance was an essential, on Phuket and in other holiday destinations, he said.
There were three cases recently where the maximum payout in three cases of deaths was one million baht - hardly enough, and the families in each cases needed more.
Mr Xu suggested a Phuket tax to establish a special fund that would become available to help Phuket tourists in difficulty.
As Phuketwan reported back on March 29, the consul-general wants to shift the Chinese consulate from Had Yai to Phuket because of the vast numbers of Chinese tourists now visiting Phuket.
What's needed still is for the Phuket provincial government to send a letter requesting the transfer, he said.
And Mr Xu said he wants Chinese tourists to be looked after properly when they reach Phuket, Mr Xu told Vice Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada in a frank meeting at Provincial Hall in Phuket City.
The national government really should invest more on making Phuket appealing and safe, Mr Xu said.
Given that Chinese tourists are now coming in hundreds of thousands to Phuket, Mr Xu probably has more influence than most other envoys in pressing for changes.
What he wants to see is more Chinese language signs for tourists, beginning with Phuket International Airport. He would also like to see explanations of the lifeguard beach flag warnings in every room in every resort.
''Some of our people come from provinces where they have never had the chance to see the sea,'' Mr Xu said. ''They need to be told what to do as protection.''
He said that because Chinese tourists were from ''many levels of quality'' there would inevitably be times when tourists found themselves in trouble on Phuket.
''We aim to do what we can to inform people that arguing and disputes are not part of the culture on Phuket,'' he said.
He also said that the quality of equipment in some diving operatrions needed to be improved.
On what he had seen from video evidence, a Chinese woman who died in a diving incident off Phi Phi on March 11 died because of faulty oxygen equipment, he said.
''Many Chinese visitors enjoy snorkelling and diving,'' he added. ''We want them to be safe and we want all tourists visiting Phuket and the region to be safe.''
He said it was time perhaps for contracts to set out who takes responsibility for problems that occur, and who will pay compensation in such cases.
Proper insurance was an essential, on Phuket and in other holiday destinations, he said.
There were three cases recently where the maximum payout in three cases of deaths was one million baht - hardly enough, and the families in each cases needed more.
Mr Xu suggested a Phuket tax to establish a special fund that would become available to help Phuket tourists in difficulty.
I would hate to see a new tax to pay for "tourists in trouble". It's probably more important to educate people to avoid the common pitfalls and hold those who take advantage of tourists to account for their actions.
Posted by Ty on June 1, 2012 00:05