Updating Report
THE NEW Immigration chief at Phuket International Airport ''arrested'' members of the media and Tourism Authority of Thailand staff as they prepared to welcome a new flight yesterday.
Colonel Pongtorn Patchimsawat, who was not in uniform, called on about 10 Immigration officers to arrest the media and TAT group.
The incident came as dancers and drummers in traditional costume and the TAT and media awaited the arrival of the inaugural V Australia flight from Brisbane, with 361 passengers on board, including Australian media and tourism officials.
Puzzled passengers walked past the greeting scene, wondering what had gone wrong with the planned traditional welcome and the usual smiling greetings.
Whenever these ''first flights'' arrive on Phuket, local media and welcoming performers and officials go beyond the Immigration desk to greet the new arrivals as they come through the door from the aircraft.
Airport security guards yesterday afternoon escorted the group to that point, as they usually do.
Colonel Pongtorn, new in the role, saw what was happening and asked the group on whose authority they had breached security at the Immigration counter.
When he did not receive a satisfactory answer, he ordered that the group be surrounded by uniformed officers.
Among the welcoming group ''under arrest'' were the new director of the TAT on Phuket, Bangornrat Shinaprayoon, Methee Tanmanatragul, President of the Southern Chapter of the Thai Hotels Association, and the AoT airport director, Prathuang Somkhom.
Only after talking to Khun Bangornrat and the the airport's director for several minutes in his office did Colonel Pongtorn allow the group to go.
Khun Bangornrat and Khun Prathuang both gave a ''No comment'' about the incident today to Phuketwan.
About 15 members of the media took the matter further, meeting at Provincial Hall with Phuket's Governor, Wichai Praisa-ngob, today.
A Phuketwan reader commented that while the arrival of the new regular service between Phuket and Brisbane is a boost for tourism, it appears that people on Phuket are not permitted to book flights to Brisbane and back.
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Oh dear, another PR disaster. What were the aussies thinking, coming through the airport?
Posted by william dale on November 23, 2009 16:02