PHUKET: The prospect of creating a special economic zone for Patong or all of Phuket is to be examined at a key conference on March 7, it was revealed last night.
Seven academic experts are to be in attendance to meet with Patong and Phuket business leaders and citizens, said Patong businessman Preechavude ''Prab'' Keesin, who is president of the Patong Community group.
''The central issue is that Phuket and Patong create billions of baht in revenue for the national government but the island never sees much of that money returned to cover infrastructure,'' he said.
The budgets for all provinces are based on the number of registered citizens in each province. In Phuket's case, the return is made on the basis of about 320,000 registered citizens.
The same formula works against Patong recieving its fair share.
With about one million people living on Phuket any month, with Thai workers from other provinces, Burmese workers and tourists included, the failure to cope continues.
The government's realisation that tourism is a prime generator if income and foreign currency will be one reason why Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her senior ministers are going to hold a Cabinet meeting on Phuket on March 18-20.
Many good ideas are being suggested, but among the simplest and best came last week from a former Phuket governor who suggested that the return to Phuiket on the basis of the number of citizens should be thrown away.
He said that Phuket and other tourist income destinations in a similar fix would be more fairly treated if their return was based on two or three percent of the amount of revenue they delivered.
The Yingluck government is expected to consider that concept. Although the idea of Phuket or Patong becoming a special economic zone has been around for many years, many people on Phuket have yet to be convinced.
The meeting on March 7 at Phuket Graceland Resort, and Spa, where an initial meeting was held on Friday night to look at tourism safety, is expected to canvass all the options and come up with more good ideas.
Seven academic experts are to be in attendance to meet with Patong and Phuket business leaders and citizens, said Patong businessman Preechavude ''Prab'' Keesin, who is president of the Patong Community group.
''The central issue is that Phuket and Patong create billions of baht in revenue for the national government but the island never sees much of that money returned to cover infrastructure,'' he said.
The budgets for all provinces are based on the number of registered citizens in each province. In Phuket's case, the return is made on the basis of about 320,000 registered citizens.
The same formula works against Patong recieving its fair share.
With about one million people living on Phuket any month, with Thai workers from other provinces, Burmese workers and tourists included, the failure to cope continues.
The government's realisation that tourism is a prime generator if income and foreign currency will be one reason why Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her senior ministers are going to hold a Cabinet meeting on Phuket on March 18-20.
Many good ideas are being suggested, but among the simplest and best came last week from a former Phuket governor who suggested that the return to Phuiket on the basis of the number of citizens should be thrown away.
He said that Phuket and other tourist income destinations in a similar fix would be more fairly treated if their return was based on two or three percent of the amount of revenue they delivered.
The Yingluck government is expected to consider that concept. Although the idea of Phuket or Patong becoming a special economic zone has been around for many years, many people on Phuket have yet to be convinced.
The meeting on March 7 at Phuket Graceland Resort, and Spa, where an initial meeting was held on Friday night to look at tourism safety, is expected to canvass all the options and come up with more good ideas.
when (so called) academic experts put their oar in be afraid be very afraid it will be expensive and wont work all figured out from their armchairs. stick with the ex governor for a simple solution.
Posted by traveller on February 19, 2012 21:03