PHUKET: As a leading province, Phuket needed the power to insist that positive results are delivered by officials appointed to senior administrative posts on Phuket, Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha was told yesterday.
Anurak Tansiriroj, a founder of Phuket International Hospital and the honorary consul of the Czech Republic, told Governor Tri: '''Phuket needs appointed officials who are intelligent, have good hearts and will provide good role-models for Phuket.''
The two men had a rare private meeting at Provincial Hall in Phuket City and afterwards, Khun Anurak responded to questions from Phuketwan.
Khun Anurak, who is credited with helping to start the quarterly meetings of Phuket's honorary consuls with the Phuket governor, police and leading officials, earlier this year described the gatherings as having the potential to be ''the wind beneath Phuket's wings.''
However, despite Phuket's international status and dependence on tourism, support for the meetings does not appear to be wholehearted among all of Phuket's senior officials.
''Phuket produces lots of benefits for Thailand so it seems only fair that from time to time the government should keep an eye on what is happening on Phuket,'' Khun Anurak said.
''Many people say Phuket is world-class and an international destination, but the truth is there are many aspects that really should be improved.''
It is believed that Khun Anurak's visit to Governor Tri was endorsed beforehand by the other Phuket honorary consuls.
The agenda for last month's quarterly meeting was only issued late in the day and honorary consuls were only provided with the minutes of the previous meeting at the eleventh hour, and only in the Thai language. In the past, the minutes have been provided in Thai and English.
As it turned out, the November meeting was perhaps the most peaceful of all eight honorary consuls' meeting so far, partly because of the presence of the Swedish and German ambassadors, but also because political and diplomatic pressure for change has shifted to Bangkok.
At least 10 ambassadors - mostly from Europe and Australia - are known to have pressed for intervention from Bangkok on Phuket to resolve some of the island's chronic issues, centring particularly on tourism safety and security and public transport.
Khun Anurak told the governor yesterday that he believes the quarterly meetings can be improved if the consuls are provided with the agenda and the previous meeting's minutes at least a week in advance.
He is also keen to have the governor organise smaller meetings between the honorary consuls' gatherings to make sure the recommendations of Phuket's international community are being acted upon.
''Many of us, as well as being the representatives of international countries, are Phuket people, and we have the best interests of the future of Phuket at heart,'' he told the governor - and Phuketwan.
Anurak Tansiriroj, a founder of Phuket International Hospital and the honorary consul of the Czech Republic, told Governor Tri: '''Phuket needs appointed officials who are intelligent, have good hearts and will provide good role-models for Phuket.''
The two men had a rare private meeting at Provincial Hall in Phuket City and afterwards, Khun Anurak responded to questions from Phuketwan.
Khun Anurak, who is credited with helping to start the quarterly meetings of Phuket's honorary consuls with the Phuket governor, police and leading officials, earlier this year described the gatherings as having the potential to be ''the wind beneath Phuket's wings.''
However, despite Phuket's international status and dependence on tourism, support for the meetings does not appear to be wholehearted among all of Phuket's senior officials.
''Phuket produces lots of benefits for Thailand so it seems only fair that from time to time the government should keep an eye on what is happening on Phuket,'' Khun Anurak said.
''Many people say Phuket is world-class and an international destination, but the truth is there are many aspects that really should be improved.''
It is believed that Khun Anurak's visit to Governor Tri was endorsed beforehand by the other Phuket honorary consuls.
The agenda for last month's quarterly meeting was only issued late in the day and honorary consuls were only provided with the minutes of the previous meeting at the eleventh hour, and only in the Thai language. In the past, the minutes have been provided in Thai and English.
As it turned out, the November meeting was perhaps the most peaceful of all eight honorary consuls' meeting so far, partly because of the presence of the Swedish and German ambassadors, but also because political and diplomatic pressure for change has shifted to Bangkok.
At least 10 ambassadors - mostly from Europe and Australia - are known to have pressed for intervention from Bangkok on Phuket to resolve some of the island's chronic issues, centring particularly on tourism safety and security and public transport.
Khun Anurak told the governor yesterday that he believes the quarterly meetings can be improved if the consuls are provided with the agenda and the previous meeting's minutes at least a week in advance.
He is also keen to have the governor organise smaller meetings between the honorary consuls' gatherings to make sure the recommendations of Phuket's international community are being acted upon.
''Many of us, as well as being the representatives of international countries, are Phuket people, and we have the best interests of the future of Phuket at heart,'' he told the governor - and Phuketwan.
Good for Khun Anurak - i can't for the life of me, see what, if anything, this Governor has done. The consuls should not let up on the pressure. In fact they should bring notice of the inactivity to the notice of full-blown Ambassadors in Bangkok. Maybe they can force some action from there, although the Thai government itself is also looking pretty inactive, too. They'll blame the floods of course. But that's another subject i could sound off about! Grr!
Posted by jimbo34 on December 8, 2011 18:47