Justice is never made and criminal are out sooner than the victims. Foreigners girl are raped in krabi and others islands men foreingners are beaten to death by taxi and tuk tuk yaba junky familly with kids are threated like animals because useless staff. The world is sick and phuket is a part of it.


Don't publish it cause your advertising could be less.

Posted by Beef on May 17, 2013 17:04

AGAIN the same old issues will be raised, will the man in charge take any notice or carry out any action upon their complaints or will one of his deputies be taking the meeting to save face and avoid confrontation.
The issues will be raised and then put on the back burner until approval is sought from the very offenders in these ongoing problems on this island the same problems that have been raised countless times before over the past decade by the EU and other ambassadors with the same outcome total inaction on the part of those who are charged with the task of running this island, why do they bother just give a blanket travel advisory to all EU states and citizens until action is taken by Bangkok rather than this island's leadership.

Posted by Scunner on May 17, 2013 17:07

Tell them, you know, your visit does not matter at all.

After that, please ask for the bus from the airport.
Then ask for safe rollovers of life savers contracts at the beaches. Ask for the sense behind the insurance scheme for jetskis is. Ask why tuktuks business is the most wanted business young Thais want to enter on Phuket.

After this specifics go for the whole picture:
Ask for the 5 year plan to bring Phuket's infrastructure up to date. Ask for the green initiatives currently running.

Ok, then I guess your time will be over.

Posted by Lena on May 17, 2013 17:46

Diplomatic version of commen t- With all the good will and intent in the world no matter what the Foreign Ambassadors and their representatives have to say will have no effect until national and local politicians get hold of the Spanish Practices occurring in Phuket and other parts of Thailand. The ambassadors are not fools and are well aware when the wool is being pulled over their eyes but their opinions carry little weight. To the Ambassadors I would say - push for the small things and see it as a victory if they are achieved but don't waste time on the big picture as it will be fruitless.

Posted by Mister Ree on May 17, 2013 17:58

"JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa in Mai Khao"
First impression is crucial, smart choice by the host, Will for sure convince the ambassadors that both the environment are good and jet ski scams hardly a issue!

Posted by Harald on May 17, 2013 19:37

OK so lets hope that opinions are epressed to the ambassadors:
As a long term resident of Phuket for 20 years i can see the same probelms persiting time and time again.
The key issues are:
1.TukTuk and Jet ski scams and the corruption that underlies them. Officials are being paid off to allow these operations to continue. Police are being paid off...everyone knows it.
2. The lack of security. You have gangs of youths curising around just looking for tourists AND Thais as targets. Some pay with their lives and then they get off with a slap on the wrist when they bow their heads and Wai. The punishment should fit the crime and NO 1/2 sentences for admission of guilt.
3. The horrid state of infrastructure and lack of planning. No drainage, roads in a mess, you cant cross the road at a zebra crossing without risk of life and limb, NO buses or decent transport!

Phuket has become a sad tragedy in my eyes. So much potential pissed away on corruption and greed. WHY because no one has the courage in the government to do the right thing.....they are afraid to speak up as are most of the Farangs who stay in Thailand. We all know the potential REAL consequences.

Tom

Posted by Tom on May 18, 2013 12:40

Ed

I guess what Tom means is that if even the somebody as high up as the governor were to crack down real hard on all the organised crime-like groups (Tuk Tuk, Taxi collective, Jet Ski thugs), strictly enforce all existing laws (YES! All of them!), order arrests, go after corrupt police etc etc, he would very likely be assasinated or at least forced out of the Island. And this is in way an OTT claim. Was it not the former governor who said "they know where my kids go to school" when asked about the lack of enforcement? This is the terrible truth.

Posted by christian on May 18, 2013 13:41

Ed

Well, I have lived in southern Thailand for around 12 years both in Phuket and in Phang Nga (where my wife is from) and here in the south, the gun culture is especially strong. Business disputes that are in our eyes really rather minor can in many cases lead to shootings and killings. The shoot out in patong, the village leader murdered just last year, in Takua Pa somebody was assainated by somebody using an M16, the number of examples are many. Thailand consistently ranks in the top 10 when it comes to murders commited with hand guns, both in absolute numbers and in comparison with the size of the population. There are around 20,000 cases per year in Thailand. This is a statistical fact, not some OTT fantasy. The governor himself fearing for the safety of his children. All this is just baseless fear mongering to you? I might be wrong ( I hope so) but I would not be surprised if the governor would end up being killed if he suddenly enforced ALL the laws of the land here in Phuket. I mean every building code law, land law, traffic law, closing times law, environmental law..Enforcing every law governing jet ski's, break up the tuk tuk/taxi monopolies etc etc. You really think that it's far fetched (moderated)

Posted by christian on May 18, 2013 19:46

Ed, there have been many '' shows'' aka the meeting in Mai Khao on this island the last 20 years. Unfortunately I don't find that any of them have helped the environment or protecting the general population against unregulated businesses.
I shall not speculate too much on what the Ambassadors think but I would not be surprised if quite a few wonder why they get placed in Mai Khao when the main problems to discuss is concentrated around the most popular beaches in Phuket and the most trafficated roads, I think they also some sit with the questions, Why are there not a law which forbid or at least strictly regulate use of jet-skis, Why is there not a paragraph in the constitution or laws which set the environment as first priority to avoid the over development we see here today!. Why is there not laws and hard punishment for they who drive drunken, drive without driving license equally enforced on everyone? Why is businesses and people generally so easily let of the hook when braking the law which should an in some instances are there to protect both the environment and people from unwanted business and individuals?
All this ''why`s'' can only be answered and corrected by the Government of Thailand and a long lasting solution will not come before laws are changed and enforcement done and a integration in upbringing / education that ''common good comes before be first''

Posted by Harald on May 21, 2013 14:13

Call me cynical but in today's e-world I feel these expensive "junkets" are totally superfluous...another way to justify staving off boredom for Eurocrats till pension time.
How long have UN committees been meeting about far more serious issues?
Gotta wonder what the expected outcome is?
My questions would be:
"do you really expect these meetings will actually influence the direction of management of Phuket"?
"do you believe that, since these issues have been and continue to be unaddressed for so long, that another meeting or consultation will just result in more lip service"

Posted by David on May 23, 2013 08:21