DEPUTY PM Suthep Thaugsuban headed a meeting of representatives from Phuket and Thailand's other key tourism destinations today and vowed to deal with rip-offs and corruption within the industry.
Special committee investigators will check on the scope of the rip-offs and report back over a period of six weeks, with effective action likely to be announced about the end of May, Phuket Vice Governor Niwit Aroonrat told Phuketwan.
He was speaking after a day of talks in Bangkok today with Deputy PM Suthep and Governors or Vice Governors representing Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Songkhla, Chonburi and Surat Thani.
''It's an important step,'' the Phuket vice governor said. ''It shows that the national government is genuinely concerned and determined to do something.''
Vice Governor Niwit said he was able to tell the gathering at Government House about the rip-offs on Phuket, about the high fares of tuk-tuks, jet-ski scams and corruption.
He also says he mentioned the latest blockade by local taxi drivers involving a cruise liner, one of several blockades that have targetted luxury passengers or US warship personnel visiting Phuket for liberty shore leave.
''Phuket seems more open about these issues than some of the other tourism destinations,'' he said. ''The regular meetings with honorary consuls on Phuket have helped to put these issues on the table.''
The vice governor said he told today's ''scam summit'' about a rip-off involving souvenir jewellery sales on Phuket, where items that were actually made for 100 baht were sold to tourists at 2000 baht to cover the cost of corrupt commissions to taxi and tuk-tuk drivers and hotels.
The issue of ineffective law enforcement was also raised, he said, noting corruption on Phuket where passports were sometimes taken and held illegally as collateral by motorcycle and vehicle renters, where entertainment venue standards and illegal opening hours had been questioned, and where noise pollution was a continuing problem.
Many of Bangkok's tourism issues, he says today's meeting was told, centred on Suvarnabhumi international airport. Delays in passing through Immigration were a source of concern as well as rip-offs, he said.
Complaints by ambassadors from Europe, China and Japan are thought to have helped to generate today's tourism summit.
The sixth meeting of the honorary consuls on Phuket with Phuket's administrative leaders and police is scheduled for May 23.
Planet Phuket Project: How Phuket Went WrongSpecial committee investigators will check on the scope of the rip-offs and report back over a period of six weeks, with effective action likely to be announced about the end of May, Phuket Vice Governor Niwit Aroonrat told Phuketwan.
He was speaking after a day of talks in Bangkok today with Deputy PM Suthep and Governors or Vice Governors representing Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Songkhla, Chonburi and Surat Thani.
''It's an important step,'' the Phuket vice governor said. ''It shows that the national government is genuinely concerned and determined to do something.''
Vice Governor Niwit said he was able to tell the gathering at Government House about the rip-offs on Phuket, about the high fares of tuk-tuks, jet-ski scams and corruption.
He also says he mentioned the latest blockade by local taxi drivers involving a cruise liner, one of several blockades that have targetted luxury passengers or US warship personnel visiting Phuket for liberty shore leave.
''Phuket seems more open about these issues than some of the other tourism destinations,'' he said. ''The regular meetings with honorary consuls on Phuket have helped to put these issues on the table.''
The vice governor said he told today's ''scam summit'' about a rip-off involving souvenir jewellery sales on Phuket, where items that were actually made for 100 baht were sold to tourists at 2000 baht to cover the cost of corrupt commissions to taxi and tuk-tuk drivers and hotels.
The issue of ineffective law enforcement was also raised, he said, noting corruption on Phuket where passports were sometimes taken and held illegally as collateral by motorcycle and vehicle renters, where entertainment venue standards and illegal opening hours had been questioned, and where noise pollution was a continuing problem.
Many of Bangkok's tourism issues, he says today's meeting was told, centred on Suvarnabhumi international airport. Delays in passing through Immigration were a source of concern as well as rip-offs, he said.
Complaints by ambassadors from Europe, China and Japan are thought to have helped to generate today's tourism summit.
The sixth meeting of the honorary consuls on Phuket with Phuket's administrative leaders and police is scheduled for May 23.
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Some very important issues raised here. I am glad to see someone has noticed and that has been taken up a level. I will look for the report at the end of May, I will not be holding my breath.
Posted by Phuket Kop on April 18, 2011 21:26