PHUKET: The Tesco Lotus plan for a new supermarket bordering Old Phuket Town remains in the early planning stages, a spokesman said yesterday.
''The building has not even been designed yet. We intend to take it step by step,'' said Charkrit Direkwattanachai, Head of Public Affairs.
Khun Charkrit spoke at a media conference where the retail giant also announced it was giving packages of cleaning goods valued at 500 baht each to 200 Phuket flood victims.
The area hardest-hit by Wednesday's flooding in central Phuket City is the Sino-Portuguese historical district where some shopkeepers oppose the plan for a modern new supermarket.
Khun Charkrit said the proposed outlet in Bangkok Road, on space near the Poonpol district, would be smaller in scale than the two existing large Tesco complexes on Phuket but larger than the Tesco Express malls that also dot Phuket.
He made a plea for understanding by residents and added that research and surveys showed most people in and around the site were supportive of the plan, although concerned about the effect the new Tesco might have on traffic.
The new complex will be close to the Slaughterhouse Intersection, where Bangkok Road meets Patiphat Road-Chao Fa Road East, the hub for traffic flowing south to Rawai and Chalong and north to Phuket City, and east and west.
''We will go step by step,'' he said. ''Speed is not important. We would like to work together with residents.''
He said space would be created in the new centre for a community market. The next step would be the public hearing phase, he said, where Tesco hoped to find local support.
''If there is not local support, we will compromise and negotiatewith locals further,'' he said. ''I would like nearby residents to understand the benefits of this project.
''The most important thing is to come to an understanding with residents. After all, some of them will be coming to work with us.''
If the process went smoothly, construction of the new Tesco could begin next year, he said.
Tesco Lotus opened the first supermarket on Phuket in 1999.
''The building has not even been designed yet. We intend to take it step by step,'' said Charkrit Direkwattanachai, Head of Public Affairs.
Khun Charkrit spoke at a media conference where the retail giant also announced it was giving packages of cleaning goods valued at 500 baht each to 200 Phuket flood victims.
The area hardest-hit by Wednesday's flooding in central Phuket City is the Sino-Portuguese historical district where some shopkeepers oppose the plan for a modern new supermarket.
Khun Charkrit said the proposed outlet in Bangkok Road, on space near the Poonpol district, would be smaller in scale than the two existing large Tesco complexes on Phuket but larger than the Tesco Express malls that also dot Phuket.
He made a plea for understanding by residents and added that research and surveys showed most people in and around the site were supportive of the plan, although concerned about the effect the new Tesco might have on traffic.
The new complex will be close to the Slaughterhouse Intersection, where Bangkok Road meets Patiphat Road-Chao Fa Road East, the hub for traffic flowing south to Rawai and Chalong and north to Phuket City, and east and west.
''We will go step by step,'' he said. ''Speed is not important. We would like to work together with residents.''
He said space would be created in the new centre for a community market. The next step would be the public hearing phase, he said, where Tesco hoped to find local support.
''If there is not local support, we will compromise and negotiatewith locals further,'' he said. ''I would like nearby residents to understand the benefits of this project.
''The most important thing is to come to an understanding with residents. After all, some of them will be coming to work with us.''
If the process went smoothly, construction of the new Tesco could begin next year, he said.
Tesco Lotus opened the first supermarket on Phuket in 1999.
