B253m Budget Approved For Phuket Tourism

B253m budget approved for Phuket tourism

PHUKET: -- The Cabinet has allocated a 253-million-baht budget to Phuket for the development of tourism in 2006, the Governor’s Office announced yesterday.

Krabi received 284 million baht and Phang Nga 252 million for the same purpose.

Phuket had proposed several projects requiring additional funding that were turned down by the central government, including two major efforts: burying power cables along the beachfront in Patong and building a new Sarasin bridge.

Patong Deputy Mayor Chairat Sukbal explained to the Gazette that the municipality’s plan to dig up an area alongside the Thaweewong Rd sidewalk and bury the cables – which would cost 330 million baht – is on hold.

He said, “When you consider how much money Patong rakes in, and how much having the electrical cables underground would benefit tourists and resi dents, it’s disappointing that this project has once again not been supported by central government.”

Phuket Provincial Highways Office (PPHO) Chief Thanit Sakiya said that the PPHO has decided to demolish the existing Sarasin bridge and build a new one high enough to allow yachts to sail under it.

He explained that the proposal passed an environmental impact assessment in December last year.

K. Thanit said that the Department of Highways in Bangkok approved a 452-million-baht budget for the new two-lane bridge, but has not yet decided when construction will start.

--Phuket Gazette 2006-01-13