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Chalong's 325m baht one-stop centre, finished in January,  is yet to open

Phuket's 325m Baht Yacht Centre Complete But No Takers

Thursday, December 20, 2012
PHUKET: A one-stop shop for yachts was constructed at a cost of 325 million baht in southern Phuket but has been waiting since January for someone to manage it, a meeting heard today.

The project, completed at Chalong after 14 years, was supposed to make Phuket a more appealing destination for sailors and cement its position as an Andaman yachting hub.

However, when Vice Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada asked today's meeting: ''What's the object of this project?'' he did not get a single response.

''If you guys are playing games,'' he said, addressing the attendees at Phuket Provincial Hall in Phuket City, ''the whole country is damaged.''

The Chief of Phuket's Marine Office 5, Phuripat Theerakulpisut, did not attend today's meeting, choosing instead to attend another meeting about the minimum wage.

Vice Governor Jamleran was told that from October 2011 to October this year, 1499 vessels had arrived on Phuket from overseas ports.

Surin Bamrungpon, a consultant to the governor on marine matters, said that Phuket had a chance to become a yachting hub.

The opportunity would be taken up in another country if Phuket did not make its appeal obvious.

Debate centred around whether the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation wanted to manage the one-stop centre, Vice Governor Jamleran was told.

An internet system to make access easy for arriving yachts had been complete since September 2011, the meeting heard.

Vice Governor Jamleran said he would set up a committee to investigate. He added that he would like Khun Phuripat to attend the next meeting.

Comments

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Visions of the Bus Station fiasco flash through my mind. Lets build it THEN think about who's going to run it. The money trail would be interesting on this one.

Posted by Mister Ree on December 20, 2012 13:32

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Agree with Mister Ree, it's clearly been built so people can skim off the construction costs, with no thought to who will run it. Isn't there a loss of face here? Someone must be responsible. What is actually a crying shame is that it is a pretty nice facility in a much better location than boat lagoon (which has tidal access only) or yacht haven (which is miles from anywhere in Phuket). Surely when the idea was rubber-stamped, someone agreed to running it. I hope that the people who made money from kickbacks realise that CORRUPTION IS STOPPING THAILAND FROM DEVELOPING. It's time to wake up and smell the coffee Thailand.

Posted by Mr Man on December 20, 2012 15:38

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Agree with both comments below, but - hands up those who disagree with corruption. Hands up those who want more proper development without corruption, so that more and more people come to Phuket? :-)

Posted by Ga on December 20, 2012 16:26

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Only a suggestion [bearing in mind that Phuket with its current/future plans/costs for boat/yachting facilities will never become a "yachting hub"]:
1 - Convert the building to a children/youth centre with sports and additional learning facilities and;
2 - The project construction and running costs to be 100% financed by those individuals that have allegedly received any illegal payment or other benefit in kind for this latest white elephant!

Posted by Amazed in Thailand on December 20, 2012 17:10

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I am willing to wager that leasing it out to a private concern would work for all involved if a deal could be structured properly...

Posted by Mike D on December 20, 2012 20:42

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It is a waste of public money as they are no wave-breakers around it and it is too dangerous to keep a boat overnight.

Posted by Whistle-Blower on December 21, 2012 11:35


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