PHUKET: The two-day New Year party scheduled for Phuket's Surin beach is an example of Bangkok ignoring the wishes of Phuket residents, the chair of the Standing Committee on Tourism of the Senate, Senator Tunyaratt Achariyachai, said this week.
''Residents and resorts were not asked whether they wanted this event,'' she said. ''It was launched in Bangkok by Bangkok people.
''These people should have asked the people of Phuket first,'' said Senator Tunyaratt, who is a Phuket resident.
Senator Tunyaratt's view appears to be echoed by Phuket people.
A newspaper poll online shows massive opposition to the privately-run event, scheduled for December 30-31 for as many as 50,000 people on the public beach at Surin.
The poll by the 'Phuket Gazette' shows that 80 percent of more than 2700 Thais, expat residents and tourists who have responded say ''megaparties'' like this one should never be held on Phuket: ''Events such as this do more harm than good.''
Within days of the event being announced on October 22, the general managers of eight Surin resorts and villa estates wrote an open letter to Phuket Governor Maitree Inthusud, telling him of their opposition to the event.
The peak season of Christmas to New Year is a time when accommodation across Phuket is usually fully booked. Seats on flights can be difficult to purchase because they have been snapped up in advance.
Senator Tunyaratt agreed that the imposition of Bangkok's desires and opinions on Phuket for the New Year party, with celebrity Paris Hilton among those in attendance, brought to mind an interesting piece of recent Phuket history: the Phuket tantalum refinery riot of 1986.
It's a piece of Phuket history that appears to have been forgotten for the moment. Here's what happened:
Against the wishes of Phuket people, the Bangkok government of the day went ahead and erected a tantalum refinery on Phuket, at a cost of $25 million.
On June 23, 1986, after a petition against the refinery was ignored, the people of Phuket took the law into their own hands.
They rioted, and burned down the tantalum factory.
Estimates of the numbers involved in the riot vary from 10,000 to as many as 70,000.
The Industry Minister at the time, Chirayu Isararangkun, arrived on Phuket but was so alarmed by the angry crowd that greeted him he fled Phuket immediately.
A report of the incident said: ''Angry rioters prevented any kind of police or fire rescue response to the arson, blocking access to the burning refinery and even overturning fire trucks as the new plant went up in flames and was destroyed.
''As a result of the Phuket riot over possible air and water contamination from tantalum refining, the National Environmental Quality Act was enacted by the Thailand government, creating a five billion baht environmental fund for clean-ups and giving authority to the central government for development regulation.
''Part of this act provided one billion baht for clean-up and regulation of development on the island of Phuket.''
One generation on, Phuket people are far less inclined to react in their thousands with a riot. But they certainly still understand the basic principle of the need for consensus before decisions are made.
New Year parties are, of course, a time for holding hands and celebrating togetherness.
Senator Tunyaratt said: ''It's very late for people to be organising this kind of event when so many other people made their plans long ago.
''To be frank, it's not possible to imagine 50,000 people at this event. Tourists expect peace and quiet on holidays. That's why they come to Phuket.
''These people should have asked the residents first. They say they want to help Phuket and bring the money in. But you never asked us.''
Senator Tunyaratt agreed that the idea of having an electronic music party on Phuket was good, but that New Year was not the time to hold it.
''It seems to me the organisers had no understanding of the way the tourism industry works on Phuket. The island is full at New Year.
''More visitors are not needed. There are other times of the year when it would be great to have 50,000 extra tourists.
''I just keep asking myself: Why didn't they come to talk to everybody on Phuket first?''
Governor Maitree has ultimate responsibility for the safety and security of residents and visitors on Phuket at all times. It's not known whether he has been briefed on the circumstances that led to the 1986 Phuket tantalum refinery riot.
''Residents and resorts were not asked whether they wanted this event,'' she said. ''It was launched in Bangkok by Bangkok people.
''These people should have asked the people of Phuket first,'' said Senator Tunyaratt, who is a Phuket resident.
Senator Tunyaratt's view appears to be echoed by Phuket people.
A newspaper poll online shows massive opposition to the privately-run event, scheduled for December 30-31 for as many as 50,000 people on the public beach at Surin.
The poll by the 'Phuket Gazette' shows that 80 percent of more than 2700 Thais, expat residents and tourists who have responded say ''megaparties'' like this one should never be held on Phuket: ''Events such as this do more harm than good.''
Within days of the event being announced on October 22, the general managers of eight Surin resorts and villa estates wrote an open letter to Phuket Governor Maitree Inthusud, telling him of their opposition to the event.
The peak season of Christmas to New Year is a time when accommodation across Phuket is usually fully booked. Seats on flights can be difficult to purchase because they have been snapped up in advance.
Senator Tunyaratt agreed that the imposition of Bangkok's desires and opinions on Phuket for the New Year party, with celebrity Paris Hilton among those in attendance, brought to mind an interesting piece of recent Phuket history: the Phuket tantalum refinery riot of 1986.
It's a piece of Phuket history that appears to have been forgotten for the moment. Here's what happened:
Against the wishes of Phuket people, the Bangkok government of the day went ahead and erected a tantalum refinery on Phuket, at a cost of $25 million.
On June 23, 1986, after a petition against the refinery was ignored, the people of Phuket took the law into their own hands.
They rioted, and burned down the tantalum factory.
Estimates of the numbers involved in the riot vary from 10,000 to as many as 70,000.
The Industry Minister at the time, Chirayu Isararangkun, arrived on Phuket but was so alarmed by the angry crowd that greeted him he fled Phuket immediately.
A report of the incident said: ''Angry rioters prevented any kind of police or fire rescue response to the arson, blocking access to the burning refinery and even overturning fire trucks as the new plant went up in flames and was destroyed.
''As a result of the Phuket riot over possible air and water contamination from tantalum refining, the National Environmental Quality Act was enacted by the Thailand government, creating a five billion baht environmental fund for clean-ups and giving authority to the central government for development regulation.
''Part of this act provided one billion baht for clean-up and regulation of development on the island of Phuket.''
One generation on, Phuket people are far less inclined to react in their thousands with a riot. But they certainly still understand the basic principle of the need for consensus before decisions are made.
New Year parties are, of course, a time for holding hands and celebrating togetherness.
Senator Tunyaratt said: ''It's very late for people to be organising this kind of event when so many other people made their plans long ago.
''To be frank, it's not possible to imagine 50,000 people at this event. Tourists expect peace and quiet on holidays. That's why they come to Phuket.
''These people should have asked the residents first. They say they want to help Phuket and bring the money in. But you never asked us.''
Senator Tunyaratt agreed that the idea of having an electronic music party on Phuket was good, but that New Year was not the time to hold it.
''It seems to me the organisers had no understanding of the way the tourism industry works on Phuket. The island is full at New Year.
''More visitors are not needed. There are other times of the year when it would be great to have 50,000 extra tourists.
''I just keep asking myself: Why didn't they come to talk to everybody on Phuket first?''
Governor Maitree has ultimate responsibility for the safety and security of residents and visitors on Phuket at all times. It's not known whether he has been briefed on the circumstances that led to the 1986 Phuket tantalum refinery riot.
Well please don't say people of Surin have given in to this party.
Yes it seems it will go ahead but do you want this every year! Maybe a protest (peaceful) during the build up would be a way to start, it is a public beach so let's all grab our bikini and speedo's and take them on at their own game.
This is such a sad decision for Phuket.
Posted by Granitebeetle on November 24, 2012 09:24