IT'S AN unexpected extra day of Songkran holiday on Phuket and throughout Thailand, thanks to the red-shirts blocking traffic in Bangkok.

On the table on the airy veranda at the Governor's Mansion lie newspapers reporting the action, mostly with large red photographs.

Governor Wichai Praisa-Ngob takes the opportunity of the surprise break to talk to Phuketwan about a range of topics.

He is relaxed, although he has plenty of work to do later, and his hands also do a lot of talking, moving expressively as he answers questions.

He's a confident man who comes to the island with an impressive track record. There is no doubting the genuine affection with which he is held in Phang Nga and Singburi.

But Phuket is a posting he did not anticipate, having given his wholehearted backing while governor there to the Phang Nga model.

Mixing tourism and development in a natural setting is what he sees as essential, and where he agrees with his predecessor, Dr Preecha Ruangjan.

''Phuket has enough hotels and development,'' he told Phuketwan, without hesitation.

But as with Dr Preecha, Governor Wichai's opinion is a personal one. He does not have the power to say ''Stop.''

''The environment has to be protected and Phuket is heading the wrong way for now,'' he said.

''More high-end tourists go to Phang Nga these days because nature is what they come to see.''

As for property, a specialty from his days as Deputy General of the Titles Office in Bangkok, the governor said he hoped to solve some of the titles wrangles in his 12-month tenure.

Applications for Chanote titles can only be made until the end of 2010. After that, all titles will be fixed.

He is advocating control of mangrove forests by local communities, one mangrove forest for each community.

As for his own future, the prospect of retirement at 60 means he is already looking at finding something suitable by the riverside in Singburi.

Phuket, he knows, is a heady mix of people and issues that cannot all be resolved in a hurry.

But his track record is for lateral thinking and, like Dr Preecha, outspoken honesty.

In Takuapa, the coastal capital of Phang Nga, Khun Wichai is revered for coming up with and engineering solution to the problem of torrential flooding that had tormented locals for more than 50 years.

The tower idea as another landmark for Phuket? It's best left for Phang Nga, he feels, where tourists could benefit from the stunning views across Phang Nga bay.

Public transport? He finds it amazing that Patong has none, and he is about to suggest to local authorities in Patong, Karon and Kata that free local bus travel on seung taos has to be introduced as soon as possible.

Finding the budget is the hard part, although the tuk-tuk drivers may have something to say.

Governor Wichai believes people should have the choice between a relatively slow, low-cost public transport system, or the alternative of getting to a destination fast in a more expensive tuk tuk.

The previous day, Governor Wichai said, he had listened to a request for more tuk tuk licenses to be granted. He rejected it.

In the present economic circumstances, such a move would have defied logic. Phuketwan has been told that Patong tuk tuk drivers, with fewer customers, are now increasing fares as a way of maintaining their income.

One tourist couple had to pay 500 baht recently for a trip after midnight from Jungceylon, just a few blocks to the Holiday Inn Patong, a resort manager told us.

The Governor hopes the new Phuket branch of the Foreign Ministry office will not only offer passport services for Thais but also enable embassies to establish a central base for expats as well.

The new ''branch'' will open in Provincial Hall, Phuket's administrative headquarters, as soon as life returns to normal Bangkok, hopefully soon.

Policy on Burmese labor came from Bangkok, he said, adding that a registration plan adopted by a previous governor in Ranong, Kanchana Pakeemun, seemed a workable concept.

The plan, incidentally, was something Governor Kanchana introduced just before she went into retirement, which means that Governor Wichai's limited stay is no barrier to bright ideas.

Having experienced labor issues involved while Governor of Phang Nga, he now plans to pursue a more sensible arrangement through the Employment Ministry in Bangkok.

First impressions are important, and the governor would like to make the road trip south from Phuket's airport more scenic and more efficient.

The island's long-term water supply and other key aspects of infrastructure are high on his list of priorities. The months will speed by fast enough.

We left him on the veranda with other callers, his hands still doing a lot of talking.


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