I was in the local OrBorTor office just now, and I asked about the large Phuket Plaza project which is located near to Nai Yang Temple, at the T-junction near to the airport. (Work has recently started on this project to clear the land)

Apparently, there will be a 500-room hotel, souvenir shops and condos, and the owner is .... a Chinese company.

The OBT told me that the Chinese owners wanted to end the expensive practice of bussing their guests to Patong/Karon and staying in hotels down there - they prefer to accommodate them right next to the airport and ship them straight out the next day on their tours to Phang Nga Bay/James Bond Island. They can buy all their gifts in the Plaza shops.......

Not really bad news for me, (my little hotels are way too small for tour groups).

Thank heavens I just got my ED visa to learn Mandarin....

Welcome to Nai Yang where you can see the true beauty of Phuket's nature. If you are lucky, you might even witness the Big Cats roaring while they play at their natural habitat.

Welcome to Nai Yang where you can see the true beauty of Phuket's nature. If you are lucky, you might even witness the Big Cats roaring while they play at their natural habitat.

Your picture tells a thousand words, oilinki - and it's a very sad story.