Joining Amb Roded for the visit to Phuket Provinvial Hall was Yuval Waks, the Israeli Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Political and Public Affairs.
According to a press release issued by the Phuket PR Dept, Governor Chamroen said that the main reason for the official visit was to thank Phuket for not allowing a particular French comedian from performing in Phuket as the show would have included comment on the stability issue within the State of Israel.
“They thanked us that we did not have such a show since Israel broke the news (about the show) at the beginning of the year and our action pleased Israel very much,” Gov Chamroen was quoted as saying.
“Another reason for their visit is to study and seek support in tourism with us because they believe Phuket is world famous for tourism. Up to 1.5 million Israelis visit Phuket each year,” he added.
Amb Simon also proposed to have Israel support Phuket in managing wastewater, said the release.
“Israel possesses both experts and technology in water management, and especially in improving wastewater-treatment systems,” Gov Chamroen said.
“We also discussed security issues and that Phuket is part of the Smart City development policy (see here),” Gov Chamroen added.
“I told him that security is always our priority, especially for tourists, both Thai and foreigners. All departments are working together to keep this place safe, to gain the public’s trust and to maintain a good tourism image,” he added.
Amb Roded also gave Gov Chamroen a copy of the book “Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle” by Dan Senor and Saul Singer, which details how “smart policies” led Israel to its impressive international economic performance.