PHUKET: About 100 market vendors protested at Phuket Provincial Hall in Phuket City today over their lack of involvement in a plan to build a 340 million baht hospital in Chalong.

The proposed 186-bed facility would be the first in southern Phuket on 10 rai of land - worth about 200 million baht and given to the Treasury Department by benefactor Kaow Arreerob.

''We don't think it's fair that we have no say,'' said a spokesperson for the group, Chatree Rachai.

The hospital land is near Chalong Circle, opposite the HomePro shopping mall. The market vendors are still operating from the land.

A Chalong hospital could cater for southern Phuket's 50,000 residents and reduce the need for patients requiring speedy treatment to always be driven north to Phuket City hospitals.

A letter was presented today for Phuket Governor Maitree Inthusud seeking inclusion of the vendors in future planning.

No date has been set for construction and there is no budget but a meeting involving key officials and adminstrators on October 17 ordered that the land be cleared.

The facility would be constructed in several phases, as the budget becomes available.

Plans for the Chalong hospital come amid a period of intense expansion for all Phuket hospitals.

Patong Hospital: A five-storey multi-purpose addition at a cost of 25 million baht now under construction.

Thalang Hospital A four-storey out-patients department costing 100 million baht is now under construction.

Vachira Hospital Phuket Seven-storey, 86 private rooms, parking for 126 vehicles, under construction at a cost of 142 million baht.

Phuket International Hospital Renovations just completed.