PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Hall reopened today for the first time in months following anti-government street protests.

Governor Maitree Intrusud was back at his desk and administrative departments in the island's Phuket City administrative headquarters - including the Damrungtam complaints office - are back in operation.

Some departments relating to tourism and expat residents, including Immigration and the Labor Office, remained open so that Phuket could continue to function normally for tourism during the protests.

A carnival atmosphere developed outside Phuket Provincial Hall at the height of the protests, when many people joined street rallies in Bangkok that were marked in a smaller way on Phuket.

Any department that sends revenue to Bangkok was asked to close by protesters and usually, workers were keen to obey. Doctors and nurses from most Phuket hospitals expressed their support for the reform movement, but did not stop work.

Several key events were cancelled during the long weeks of protest, including a Safer Phuket summit backed by the British Embassy that was designed to bring together the key authorities concerned with marine safety in the region.

No new date has been set for that event. A meeting of Phuket's honorary consuls with Governor Maitree was also postponed, with no new date set yet.

The return to work at Phuket Provincial Hall is a promising sign but there is no way of knowing what the next few weeks might bring.

Both the Red supporters of caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the protesters, led by Suthep Thuagsuban, are aiming to hold more mass rallies in Bangkok to demonstrate their support.