PHUKET: Cynicism has greeted the call for a ''public hearing'' on Wednesday over a plan to build a movie museum that would destroy a glade of trees at a Phuket foreshore.

Nai Harn village chief Boonsom Ponlob said a representative from Rawai council had asked him to organise a group of beach vendors for the meeting, at a yet-to-be-disclosed location.

''I said that we would also need to have academics, environmentalists, students, expat residents and everyone with an interest in the beachfront at the meeting,'' Khun Boonsom said today.

''I wonder why the mayor doesn't come to us and speak directly.''

Rawai Mayor Aroon Soroj is believed to have approved the plan for the glade of trees - one of Phuket's most iconic beauty spots - to be razed for the 40 million baht ''Hollywood movie museum.''

Hundreds of local and expat residents have since indicated they do not want the movie museum on the foreshore under any circumstances. An awning declaring the project ''postponed'' was reported to have been hung near the glade today.

''The beaches of Phuket do not belong only to the vendors who still work along the foreshores,'' village chief Boonsom said. ''The beaches and the foreshores belong to the people of Thailand.''

He agreed that the Gateway site near the Tachatchai checkpoint entrance to Phuket would be a much better place for the movie museum. [The Gateway is a 50 million baht project to attract tourists that barely attracts a handful of visitors each day.]

Phuketwan readers have pointed out that salt from the ocean at Nai Harn would quickly make the windows of any movie museum impossible to keep clear.

Salt would also accelerate the deterioration of the entire structure.

The Tin Mine Museum has also been suggested as an alternative.

''The project could be good but it's in the wrong spot,'' said Khun Boonsom.

Residents are mystified as to how the project could have reached the point where 32 trees were earmarked for lopping without them being told all the facts.

Many people are also questioning how the Tourism Ministry could find funding of 40 million baht for a project that would destroy a precious natural attraction and replace it with a building.

There is no evidence that tourists want to come to Nai Harn to watch movies and look out at the beach through salt-covered windows.

There is plenty of evidence that Nai Harn is popular with nature-loving residents and visitors.

Phuket's Governor has been asked to intervene to save the Nai Harn beachfront glade - even if the contract has already been signed.

TripAdvisor ranks Nai Harn among the Top 10 beaches in Asia.

The plan for the movie museum contradicts comments by the governor that he wants Phuket's appeal to be more natural, as in the neighboring provinces of Krabi and Phang Nga.