CORRUPTION is Phuket's greatest problem, the Foreign Minister, Kasit Piromya, acknowledged in a free and frank exchange with a group of honorary consuls over breakfast on Phuket today.

Khun Kasit ''spoke very openly'' and demonstrated a surprisingly complete and detailed knowledge of Phuket, Phuketwan was told later.

''We have to change Thailand,'' Khun Kasit said.

After the meeting, he openly used the word ''mafia'' in talking about the high fares being charged by Phuket's tuk-tuks, and the limitations of free trade imposed by the vehicles not being able to pick up fares around the island.

He said service was bad and tourists did not feel safe on Phuket using tuk-tuks at night.

Immigration service at the airport was also not good enough, he said. He had been told that Malaysian tourists might arrive on Phuket after a one-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur, then face a wait of two or three hours to be processed at the airport.

Some countries were suggesting a fast-track for Asean country tourists - but plainly, it would be better for Phuket to fix the problem for all visitors.

He also told a Phuketwan reporter that the honorary consuls had raised the high number of buildings now going up above the 80-metre limit, and indicated that something should be done.

Billboards were another large and obvious Phuket issue. ''Phuket is one of the most attractive natural destinations in the world,'' he said. ''It shouldn't be spoiled by billboards.''

Incentives also need to be provided to encourage investment in property on Phuket, he said. The extension of 30-year leases to 90 years would be a sensible boost to business, he said.

Long-stay visas also needed to be sorted, Khun Kasit added. It did not seem to make sense that people on a one-year visa to Thailand had to report to Immigration every three months.

Earlier, Khun Kasit told the honorary consuls that too much power on Phuket was invested in the local authorities. Garbage disposal and environmental protection were two areas that clearly needed improvement.

Seen by many expats in Thailand as forming an internationally aware triumvirate with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij, Khun Kasit sat down to eat this morning with about a dozen people representing Phuket's expat communities.

He spoke for five minutes, then asked to hear directly from each person at the table. The issues quickly came tumbling out.

One honorary consul said the foreign minister's knowledge of Phuket and the issues that need to be resolved was ''very impressive.'' Another said that his reaction was ''extremely positive.''

Khun Kasit took extensive notes. ''Now we will wait and see what happens,'' said one honorary consul.

Khun Kasit said the Government understood that Phuket's budget was based on 320,000 registered citizens, but that up to a million people were using the island's infrastructure in high-season months.

Phuket's honorary consuls are due to meet for the third time with Governor Wichai Praisa-ngob and the island's leading police and officials in August. The innovative quarterly meeting is likely to be expanded to include representatives from the US, China, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.