PHUKET: New Netherlands Ambassador Joan Boer met Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha today and told the Phuket media later that ''sweet Phuket every day'' was the aim - but he added that firm lines needed to be drawn.

'''Sweet Phuket every day' is what you are interested in here on Phuket,'' he said.

''And it's what we are interested in too . . . a place where our tourists really feel welcome and know that they have a place where they can relax, rather than walk around in a guarded way, thinking that they will be cheated, thinking that they will be robbed or harassed in any way.''

Two young Dutch tourists were involved in an altercation with tuk-tuk drivers in Patong earlier this month, a dispute that led to police involvement and the blockading of a street at 2am.

Having mentioned that incident, the ambassador said: ''There have been some scams on the jet-skis and we are concerned because the tourist industry is very important for us and it's very easy to demolish an image in the tourist industry.''

Asked about the plan for Australia to issue an official YouTube video warning about jet-ski rip-offs, he said: ''Here is a responsibility for those hiring out jet-skis to either allow these things to happen, or to say 'This was an exception, it will not happen again, we will really take care of our customers.'

''If it's on YouTube, it's out of control. What's not out of control is whether you can say this is exceptional, or this is just common practice, better be prepared as a tourist for this. I would hate to send out that message. 'Sweet Phuket every day' doesn't fit that image.''

Ambassador Boer said that 200,000 Dutch tourists visited Thailand each year, and that 100,000 entered through Phuket.

He plans to visit other popular destinations around the country but first, he plans to head out to see what Phuket's tourist nightlife is like, to see how Phuket feels, ''how sweet it feels.''

During their meeting, Governor Tri explained that Phuket had chronic problems that were now in the process of being resolved, adding that anyone on a jet-ski who was caught breaking the law would be stopped from doing business immediately.

He said he would welcome the innovative three-monthly meeting with Phuket honorary consuls being expanded to include all interested ambassadors from Bangkok so that vital investment, social and tourism issues could be talked about more fully.

''We want these issues to be discussed,'' he said. ''We welcome all issues being raised so that everyone understands the problems faced on Phuket, and everyone in Bangkok also has a fuller understanding.''

Governor Tri said that Phuket did not need more tourists - but it did need more quality tourists.

After the meeting, Ambassador Boer welcomed Governor Tri's decision to set up advisory committees to look at Phuket's social, investment and tourism issues ''because then you hear from various angles how people are looking into it.

''I also think the idea of having a meeting with the consuls on the spot is another good thing,'' he added. ''But then of course, you have to act.''

The ambassador said it was his first visit to Phuket and that he had previously worked in tourism destinations around the world.

''I have seen places coming up and other places going down, because they did not realise that tourism is about caring,'' he said. ''It's not just about earning money.

''It's a relationship that you have to maintain. You have to work for it. If you simply see this as money-making, you will lose out at the end of the day. And that's my experience all over, where I have seen tourism centres going down.

''That's not what I would wish to see happening here in Phuket. 'Sweet Phuket every day' is what you are interested in here on Phuket, and what we are interested in, too.''

Governor Tri meets with Phuket's honorary consuls on August 31.