Tourist Attractions To Be Rebuilt Within A Month

[Larry Banks]

Thailand’s tourist attractions to be rebuilt within a month

PHUKET: -- Tourist attractions in Thailand's six southern provinces along the Andaman coast, which were devastated by last Sunday's tsunamis, will be rebuilt within the next month according to the country’s Tourism and Sports Minister Sontaya Kunplome.

Most of Phuket’s seaside hotels are still operational, the minister said.

''Phuket was the least destroyed and most of its 40 seaside hotels can be repaired. I want to tell holiday makers that these hotels are still operational and could reopen for service as usual. They only need to clean up the rubbish and debris,'' said the tourism and sports minister.

But many holiday makers have cancelled their hotel bookings for the New Year celebrations in Phuket after the natural disaster.

Only 30 percent of visitors plan to proceed with their holiday in the devastated seaside resort.

''Some tourists have begun to swim in the sea and we are confident that there would be no further tsunamis. This is a good sign for tourism,'' he said.

Mr. Sontaya made his comments to reporters after he and Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula had inspected the damage on Phi Phi Island off Krabi Province and Khao Lak in Phang-nga Province.

The minister’s said he found the damage done by the tsunami smaller than he had expected.

The government fully supported rebuilding the tourist industry in the six affected provinces, including Phuket, Phang-nga, Krabi, Trang, Ranong and Satun, he added.

''It should not take beyond January to rebuild the places. But we must concentrate on cleaning up the area first before we move on to renovate the

damage, public relations and marketing. We will inform tour agencies overseas that our hotels are still opened,'' he said.

--TNA 2005-01-01

[phuketrichard]

WOW, wonder where he visited?

kamala beach where I am has not been touched. all beach front hotels are in shambles, the beach has not been ever started to be cleaned up. YES Patong beach has been clean buit really with all the sewage and garbage and possible bodies do they think the water is safe?

I figure end of Feb until 75% of the area is ready.

Khao lak was destroyed totally!! Phi phi will take 4-6 months as it needs to be completly rebuilt

Laguna, Surin, Chalong, Karon beach and parts of Kata for sure are ok and had very little damage and its business as usual

[astral]

There are more important things to do than rebuilding tourist attractions.

1. Recovering all the bodies

2. Burying the dead.

3. Making sure clean water is available for all.

4. Rebuilding homes and infrastruture services.

Concentrate on those and forget about the election next month, Mr Minister!!!!!!!!!!!

[usatrader]

I am sorry to interlude, but as to the point made about the tasks at hand, accepting it was serious, meaningful and I am sure thoughtful as implied, but, asking a politician to be non-political especially two months before an election, anywhere, is like asking the Pope to not be Papal the week before Easter. It’s just not in the cards of life and reality.

It is indeed surreal to see people in Speedo adornment with beach chairs and beer in hand lounging and partying on the beach and in the bars along the streets, while, in the same "TV moment", being shown and told, a mile or so away, bodies lie out, in widely scattered areas being processes for ID and burial and in the same area, walls of hundreds of missing and their photos are being frantically scoured over by those still looking for the not yet accounted for.

I am sure, if a factual reality on the ground, a person walking from one area to the other would indeed be subject to different reactions.

I do not judge it, as I am not qualified or ordained to do so, I just find the contrast eerily difficult to balance as a reality and as such see its contrast easily a cause of emotional reaction both in the affirmative and negative.

That is all!

[Ningbojoe]

I am afraid the the Minister for Tourism and Sport is only doing his job. What he said and his actions are expected by the Thai public because that is what he is payed to do.

A politician is payed by the taxpayer to be political! Election or no election.

[chaiyapoon]

There are more important things to do than rebuilding tourist attractions.

1.  Recovering all the bodies

2.  Burying the dead.

3.  Making sure clean water is available for all.

4.  Rebuilding homes and infrastruture services.

Concentrate on those and forget about the election next month, Mr Minister!!!!!!!!!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

GET REAL! What do you expect from a politican in these circumstances?

Body recovery is on going as is disposal.What people want to know now is have I got a job or way of supporting what is left of my family?They want reassurance from the government that things will return to some kind of normality as soon as possible.That means that tourism has to be rebuilt as soon as the 4 items you mention are dealt with.Plans will be in place to fix those already.

Someone has to look forward past that to get the area on its feet again and that is the job of ministers and the government.

[Darknight]

/moved to comments forum

[Poppa Bill]

I am sorry to interlude, but as to the point made about the tasks at hand, accepting it was serious, meaningful and I am sure thoughtful as implied, but, asking a politician to be non-political especially two months before an election, anywhere, is like asking the Pope to not be Papal the week before Easter. It’s just not in the cards of life and reality.

It is indeed surreal to see people in Speedo adornment with beach chairs and beer in hand lounging and partying on the beach and in the bars along the streets, while, in the same "TV moment", being shown and told, a mile or so away, bodies lie out, in widely scattered areas being processes for ID and burial and in the same area, walls of hundreds of missing and their photos are being frantically scoured over by those still looking for the not yet accounted for.

I am sure, if a factual reality on the ground, a person walking from one area to the other would indeed be subject to different reactions. 

I do not judge it, as I am not qualified or ordained to do so, I just find the contrast eerily difficult to balance as a reality and as such see its contrast easily a cause of emotional reaction both in the affirmative and negative.

That is all!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>