PHUKET: The Governor of Phuket, Maitree Inthusud, met with former colleagues from Phayao province in northern Thailand yesterday.

The new Phuket Governor was Governor of Phayao before moving south to Phuket.

Over the course of about an hour at Provincial Hall in Phuket City, Governor Maitree passed on what he had learned about Phuket and the differences between the key tourism province and Phayao, in the mountainous north.

Phuket has strengths and weaknesses, he told his former workmates.

Among the weaknesses, Governor Maitree listed:

..Encroachment of public parkland and other areas;

..Insufficient public transport, traffic jams;

..Lack of infrastructure;

..Risk of natural disasters (tsunami, earthquakes);

..Socially mixed, security an issue;

..Criminals finding refuge from overseas;

..Garbage disposal a problem;

..Bad water, environmental degradation, beach runoff;

..Beaches at risk.

Phayao's list of problems is reputed to be much shorter. The group of about 30 went to Wat Chalong, Cape Promthep, and beaches at Kata, Karon, Patong and Rawai.

Governor Maitree is expected to have an informal welcoming meeting with Phuket's honorary consuls shortly at which time the prospect of continuing formal meetings between the consuls and Phuket's administrators is likely to be raised.