Phuket Opinion: Preserving the essence of Phuket

[Lite Beer]

Phuket Opinion: Preserving the essence of Phuket
Phuket Gazette -

Pannate Rangsinturat is worried about how foreigners and uncontrolled development are affecting Phuket. Photo: Orawin Narabal

General Manager of Business and Network Development at DaimlerChrysler (Thailand) Co Ltd, Pannate Rangsinturat, 36, is a Phuket native. She graduated from Chulalongkorn University with a degree in international relations and has earned a master’s degree in European studies from Cambridge University.

Here she talks about the changes she sees when she returns to Phuket and how they can be better managed.

PHUKET: I was born and raised in Phuket, and though I’ve travelled the world and lived in different countries and worked in Bangkok for years, I have never stopped thinking of myself as a Phuketian. I go home whenever I have a holiday, and one day I will move back permanently.

I’ve seen a lot of changes in Phuket over the years, and though some of them are good, there are a couple which make me unhappy because they are changing the very essence of the island.

One is uncontrolled development, and the other is the growing numbers of foreigners.

Every time I come back, I notice new roads and new buildings. In some sense we can say that these are positive signs of development, but they make me a little sad, because I think the growth is happening too fast, in too many directions, and without real organization. It is causing the destruction of Phuket’s most valuable resource – its natural beauty.

Something similar is happening because of the growing number of foreigners on the island. I’m not against foreigners, and I think their presence has some positive features – they contribute to our economic growth and bring elements of international culture and lifestyle.

However, too many of those outside cultural elements could cause our own way of life to be affected and irreparably changed, as we adjust our lifestyle to theirs.

Just as the government should plan and control development carefully, they should also take care in terms of how much foreign influence they allow, whether it be investment, expats or tourists. They should carefully screen foreigners who come here.

Not all the changes I’ve noticed are bad ones. People in Phuket are growing more appreciative of our traditional culture, and that’s a great thing. They’re organizing more events and activities that celebrate our history, such as the Old Phuket Fair and Baba Yaya events. And they’re taking steps to preserve Sino-Portuguese architecture.

When I was younger, I dreamed of spending my life abroad, in Europe, because I love countries with long histories and unique cultures. I spent two years in England and four years in Germany, and my business trips have taken me to many other countries.

All that travel and living abroad made me realize there’s no place like home. Europe is my second home now, but it’s only in Thailand that I can truly rest my mind.

And where I really want to be is Phuket. To me, Phuket offers a unique harmony between city life, business life and nature. That’s its special charm. And it’s this mix that makes Phuket people who we are. We are easy going, but active; down to earth, but confident. We are strong and direct.

I grew up in Phuket back in the days before kids had to go to tutor sessions after school. I just focused on my lessons while I was in school. I think that’s enough for children. I have very fond memories of my schools, Muang Phuket Municipal School, Satree Phuket School and Phuket Wittayalai School. I am what I am today partly because they taught me so well.

With my Phuket education I was able to study at universities in Bangkok and abroad, and feel confident competing with others. I’d like to tell parents who let their children study in Phuket, you’ve made the right choice. There’s no need to send them anywhere else; I’m proof of that.

My dream now is to return to Phuket and open a boutique hotel and coffee shops. I miss the beach!

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Phuket-Opinion-Preserving-the-essence-of-Phuket-22807.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-11-17

[Paangjang]

In two words, greedy locals. Everything here seems to revolve around making a fast baht and with that, not caring about the local environment or people. You'll never meet anybody who cares about their local area less than a Thai local to that area. They litter, extort and rape their environment for...... The Baht.

It's been said that corruption is the cancer of Thailand, this is more than visible in Phuket. But when so many locals are benefiting from abusing the island, when and why should it stop? Remember all the Spanish coastline and those island's that we used to frequent in the 80's and 90's? Look at them now, they didn't last two decades. How much charm is there left in Phuket? How long will it last, longer than it's once more developed counterparts?

[jpp2bkk]

You can complain on everything you want even foreigners, but it's indeed the GREED of the THAI people who destroyed this island. Phuket is doomed, my first time was in 1989 for holidays then I lived there from 94 to 98 it was perfect, I took the best of it but seeing the degradation coming I moved to Bkk and get a new job. I was there the last time last year for a week, NEVER AGAIN. THAI corruption, scams and greed, insecurity...it's now a shit hole with the worst Thai rubbish people you can find in Thailand.

[Paangjang]

The tourist demographics have definitly changed. The majority now seems to be cheap package tourists from China, Russia India. All split developed countries with new money looking for cheap sun and a cheap play-on culture. I've seen Chinese tourists trying to get a discount on a ฿20 mango shake. The group were adamant they wouldn't pay more than ฿10 for it, they finally raised their price to ฿15, after rejection both parties and walked away. All of this over 20 cents. How long will these sort of tourists keep Phuket's key industry (tourism) going for?

But you have to ask yourself, who drove the Western nationalities away?

[baabaabobo]

So she dislikes "uncontrolled development, and the growing numbers of foreigners" yet her dream is "to return to Phuket and open a boutique hotel and coffee shops".

Then she considers "Europe is my second home now" but thinks that here in Thailand " too many of those outside cultural elements could cause our own way of life to be affected and irreparably changed".

Talk about having your cake and eating it....

[NamKangMan]

"and the other is the growing numbers of foreigners." - I think she forgets that it was the "foreigners" that her family made money from, that allowed her a first class education and a high paying job.

I don't think you can pay your way through Cambridge University by working at a 7/11.

Talk about "bite the hand that feeds you."

If she does ever "open a boutique hotel and coffee shops" - who are going to be her customers? If not foreigners, wealthy Thai's, and where do they get their money from, tourism, and what is tourism, foreigners coming to Phuket.

The standards at Cambridge must be slipping. :)

Edited November 17, 2013 by NamKangMan

[Roel]

Sad really, to see that even an education at Chulalongkorn and Cambridge cannot prevent her from repeating the Thai mantra for all problems: blame it on the foreigners.

[jocko]

I will keep my eye open for a Boutique hotel and Coffee shop for her there is bound to be one up for sale soon.

[SeanPhuket]

Oh my goodness, what on earth is she on?

Even so called educated Thai's talking like this. She sounds so much like my educated wife.

Being that Cambridge is for the out of touch person, I can understand her not knowing that you can't have it all one way.

Final thought for the lady; what about the indiginous Thai's? How about their island before your Chinese came here, grabbed all the land by taking advantage of the local's culture and then colonising the place?

[pistachios]

Interesting online dating profile. She is pretty, got a top job, must be loaded and driving a nice car, but she talks so much about herself that I fear she must be quite a boring partner. Anyway that's kind of worthless without an email or phone number.

Oh wait, it was actually an opinion article? Actually, when she's not bragging about her education, lifestyle and dreams, we do learn that Phuket has been overdevelloped and that the government should carefully control it. Thank you captain obvious! We also learn that foreigners are as harmfull as uncontrolled development. Why? No clues were given. Her solution to this "problem" is to control foreigner's influence on Phuket. Could you even be more vague miss Rangsinturat?

[thaibutty]

"Just as the government should plan and control development carefully, they should also take care in terms of how much foreign influence they allow, whether it be investment, expats or tourists. They should carefully screen foreigners who come here.

Not all the changes I’ve noticed are bad ones. People in Phuket are growing more appreciative of our traditional culture, and that’s a great thing. They’re organizing more events and activities that celebrate our history, such as the Old Phuket Fair and Baba Yaya events. And they’re taking steps to preserve Sino-Portuguese architecture."

So she doesn´t know or realize that the history and traditional culture that she is so proud of actually came with the (chinese) foreigners?

[KarenBravo]

Stupid woman.....

[Songhua]

Probably would have made sense if she hadn't continually shot down her own argument.

[hansgruber]

Just goes to show she didn't assimilate into the western society when studying overseas. They just hang around other Thais and show off their brand name stuff to each other.

Can take the girl out of Thailand but you can't take Thai out of the girl.