Phuket’s 250-million-baht provincial mosque to be built in forest reserve

[Lite Beer]

Phuket’s 250-million-baht provincial mosque to be built in forest reserve
Phuket Gazette -

PHUKET: Land within a forest reserve was approved this week for the construction of the 250-million-baht Phuket provincial mosque complex in Thalang.

On January 15, Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut signed off on the use of over nine rai of the Pa Bang Khanun Forest Reserve near the Thalang Technical College.

“Our budget was approved by Cabinet last year, and we would like to build the mosque in honor of the 84th birthday of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej,” Phuket Islamic Committee President Komon Doomluck told the Phuket Gazette.

The site will be home to four buildings: a grand mosque, a Halal exhibition hall, a grand hall that can fit up to 2,000 people and accommodations for those travelling to Mecca for Hajj.

“The accommodations are necessary because it will be more comfortable for us to wait at the mosque than at the airport,” Mr Komon noted.

As soon as the Islamic Committee receives the approved budget, the first phase of construction will begin with the 150-million-baht provincial mosque. The second phase of the project will see the other structures built for 100 million baht.

“The mosque is meant to serve Muslims in Phuket and the surrounding provinces. It will be especially important for them before departures to Mecca,” Mr Komon said.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2014/Phuket-s-250-million-baht-provincial-mosque-to-be-built-in-forest-reserve-23321.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2014-01-18

[clockman]

When the Saudi allow, a church, temple, to be built in Saudi Arabia. Then and only then allow Mosques to be built, anywhere outside muslim countrys. The Saudi finance all these Mosques being built!

[ezzra]

This mosque should have been given the approval to be built only if and when those

Islamic terrorists that kills thousands of innocent Thai people will cease and decease

from the terror activities,

This policy of appeasement will not work and only will strength their resolve to set up

an Islamic entity in the south of Thailand...

[pacovl46]

And how many trees in that forest reserve will be cut down to make way, and how many species' lives will be negatively impacted by it? That's of way more concern to me than wether or not churches can be built in Islamic countries!!! Religious freedom! Just because they don't grant it to you, doesn't mean that you shouldn't grant it to them! Lead by example!

[bangkokheat]

great idea, build the mosque at the expense of paying the rice farmers

[Carrerakiss]

The issue here is not religious, or it shouldn't be. The forest reserve should be reserved as a forest. The allocation of a budget and the approval of a governor shouldn't override that fact. Otherwise, why designate areas as forest reserves?

It's a shame isn't it. But it's the Thais who will suffer in the long term as Phuket becomes more and more overbuilt. They are sticking it to themselves in several different ways every day. They just don't know it yet.

[biggles45]

"Our budget was approved by Cabinet last year, and we would like to build the mosque in honor of the 84th birthday of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Phuket Islamic Committee President Komon Doomluck told the Phuket Gazette."

I must be missing something here...how is building a Muslim mosque going to honour the Thai King, who is a devout Buddhist??

[Dimpys Dad]

Muslims are already here, mosques popping up, and the trouble they bring with them has already started in the South. Happens everywhere they go and get established -- everywhere. So sad (and disturbing) to see it happening in Thailand.

[Sceptict11]

Muslims are already here, mosques popping up, and the trouble they bring with them has already started in the South. Happens everywhere they go and get established -- everywhere. So sad (and disturbing) to see it happening in Thailand.

Always good to be well informed !

Go here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Thailand#History

[DefaultName]

Build a bird table in your garden and you get more birds........................

[canda]

What an absolute slap in the face this waste of money is for the almost 400 Muslim folk & the couple of resorts that exist on Coconut Island.

Located within a couple of minutes of Phuket & close to the CBD. but bereft of mains power in this day & age, the government had already allocated the funding for underwater power cabling previously, but somehow this has dissapeared. In the meantime, the resorts have to generate their own power at an exorbitant cost & the villagers borrow a small amount. The only 'winners' here are the suppliers of the fuel for the generators.

Using just part of this 250 million baht to 'power up' Coconut Island would certainly make day to day life much more "livable" for the people that actually need it, rather than building another mosque somewhere in the backblocks of Thalang.

When was the last time any of the greater population of Phuket did without power even for a day ? there is usually an uproar if there is an extended power outage, try living without a reliable power supply day in & day out !

CANDA.

[Thai at Heart]

Provincial mosque?

When will the provincial cathedral be done?

[Sceptict11]

Provincial mosque?

When will the provincial cathedral be done?

Why would one be needed --------------?

The ignorance and bigotry of some is truly spectacular

[Thai at Heart]

Provincial mosque?

When will the provincial cathedral be done?

Why would one be needed --------------?

The ignorance and bigotry of some is truly spectacular

Why is tax payers money being used to fund this? And that is just a genuine question. Does the government fund building new temples? Edited January 18, 2014 by Thai at Heart

[Wat dee]

What is the problem? Surely there is enough Wat's around.

[fasteddie]

Muslims are already here, mosques popping up, and the trouble they bring with them has already started in the South. Happens everywhere they go and get established -- everywhere. So sad (and disturbing) to see it happening in Thailand.

I take it you're being sarcastic, given that Phuket and the south has always had a Muslim majority.

[steelepulse]

Hmm, I've never heard of a true Muslim with a Thai name.

>>Phuket Islamic Committee President Komon Doomluck told the Phuket Gazette.

[lakecross]

This mosque should have been given the approval to be built only if and when those

Islamic terrorists that kills thousands of innocent Thai people will cease and decease

from the terror activities,

This policy of appeasement will not work and only will strength their resolve to set up

an Islamic entity in the south of Thailand...

What about all the Muslims who aren't terrorists? Are they not entitled to a place of worship, if other religions are?

And how does the presence of an additional mosque impact on the prevalence of terrorism, anyway? Or are you just doing that thing like in school where the teacher punishes the whole class for one pupil's actions, draconian methodology really which will only cause further resentment amongst minority groups.

[fdbob]

This mosque should have been given the approval to be built only if and when those

Islamic terrorists that kills thousands of innocent Thai people will cease and decease

from the terror activities,

This policy of appeasement will not work and only will strength their resolve to set up

an Islamic entity in the south of Thailand...

What about all the Muslims who aren't terrorists? Are they not entitled to a place of worship, if other religions are?

And how does the presence of an additional mosque impact on the prevalence of terrorism, anyway? Or are you just doing that thing like in school where the teacher punishes the whole class for one pupil's actions, draconian methodology really which will only cause further resentment amongst minority groups.

.

The Thais are just playing into the Muslims hands everywhere they are there's trouble they just don't know or want to assimilate.

[pistachios]

"Our budget was approved by Cabinet last year, and we would like to build the mosque in honor of the 84th birthday of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Phuket Islamic Committee President Komon Doomluck told the Phuket Gazette."

I must be missing something here...how is building a Muslim mosque going to honour the Thai King, who is a devout Buddhist??

Because if is the king of all Thais and not only buddhist Thais. In fact, the constitution states that he is "defender of all faith". http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Thailand_(2007)/Chapter_2#Section_9_.28The_King_and_the_Faiths.29

[pistachios]

The issue here is not religious, or it shouldn't be. The forest reserve should be reserved as a forest. The allocation of a budget and the approval of a governor shouldn't override that fact. Otherwise, why designate areas as forest reserves?

It's a shame isn't it. But it's the Thais who will suffer in the long term as Phuket becomes more and more overbuilt. They are sticking it to themselves in several different ways every day. They just don't know it yet.

Yeah I don't really get the point to have forest reserves if you can build something on it anyway...

[simple1]

Hmm, I've never heard of a true Muslim with a Thai name.

>>Phuket Islamic Committee President Komon Doomluck told the Phuket Gazette.

Many Thai Muslims use Thai surnames and religion is captured on Thai ID cards.

[simon43]

In previous years, the Muslim community would camp out at the airport, prior to going to Mecca for the Hadj. Since last year, that's not possible, due to the new terminal building works. So they camped out at Thalang Technical College instead.

I'm not exactly sure how near to the college this mosque will be, but the land in that immediate vicinity may be 'forest' in name, but certainly not in nature. It's the first time that I heard that it was a designated forest, sitting adjacent to the busy airport road. It just looks like scrubland.

What I do know (from chatting with my airport hotel overseas guests), is that many are very surprised to hear/see such a large Muslim community in Phuket (clearly they didn't do their homework before travelling to Phuket). Many of these guests have subsequently told me that they would not have visited the island if they knew before that there was a large Muslim community here.

So ... painting everyone with the same brush.... the very public image of this new mosque right by the airport access road will probably not help to encourage foreign tourists (non-Muslims) to visit the island.

I'm just telling it how it is.....

Simon

[simple1]

"Our budget was approved by Cabinet last year, and we would like to build the mosque in honor of the 84th birthday of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Phuket Islamic Committee President Komon Doomluck told the Phuket Gazette."

I must be missing something here...how is building a Muslim mosque going to honour the Thai King, who is a devout Buddhist??

The Thai Royal Family have supported the Thai Muslim community over many years, including funding translating the Koran into Thai, as well as providing funding for some schools in the deep South & other initiatives. The Thai State supports Thai Muslims in attending Haj such as providing Thai Muslim employees four months paid leave to attend, as well as contributing funds for the repair and improvement of Mosques in Thailand. Each year the King or a senior member of the Royal family attends a ceremony commemorating the birth of Muhammad.

For those interested more detail at http://www.thaiembassy.org/riyadh/en/

[ezzra]

This mosque should have been given the approval to be built only if and when those

Islamic terrorists that kills thousands of innocent Thai people will cease and decease

from the terror activities,

This policy of appeasement will not work and only will strength their resolve to set up

an Islamic entity in the south of Thailand...

What about all the Muslims who aren't terrorists? Are they not entitled to a place of worship, if other religions are?

And how does the presence of an additional mosque impact on the prevalence of terrorism, anyway? Or are you just doing that thing like in school where the teacher punishes the whole class for one pupil's actions, draconian methodology really which will only cause further resentment amongst minority groups.

I have nothing against other Muslims who goes about their life as law abiding citizens,

there are plenty of local mosques to cater for this community, but most of all, in these testing and tumultuous times where there is unrest and animosity and mistrust between the local non Muslims and the Muslim community you don't go and build a grand mosque on public land and what more on a national reserve land,

this will only serve to infuriate and widen the divide between the two religions...

[belg]

a mosque in honor of the king? isnt he buddist? and who pays for this ?

250 million?????????

[monkey4u]

To build in a forest reserve is a joke, be it a Mosque or a 7/11

Think of the damage that will be caused by all visitors cars.

In the Sydney suburb of Lakemba there is a mosque.

A near by park and playing field, are overrun every friday being used as a car park.

In this country where no one gives a toss about their actions what damage will be done

So much for forest reserves, whats next turn a national park into a Tesco???

[Felt 35]

Shame on the Government using the little forest here left to any building when regularly announcing tree planting in some run down parks on the island.

[BlackJack]

its like puttng Israel in the middle east

future problems

[simple1]

Provincial mosque?

When will the provincial cathedral be done?

Why would one be needed --------------?

The ignorance and bigotry of some is truly spectacular

Why is tax payers money being used to fund this? And that is just a genuine question. Does the government fund building new temples?

Unsure about funding to build new temples, I guess mainly from donations with some support from the State. The Religious Affairs Department provides an annual budget for Sangha functionaries and upkeep/maintenance for Buddhist structures. I read somewhere, do not know if it is factual, that all temples and monasteries are the property of the Thai state