The news follows local residents successfully rejecting the proposed B40-million tourist attraction at a public meeting at the Rawai Municipality offices on Friday night (Nov 20). (See story here.)
Central to the local residents’ objections to the project was that the initial plan required about 40 pine trees on the Nai Harn beachfront to be cut down. The construction plan was then revised so that – apparently – the project would not require any trees to be cut down. (See story here)
However, that was not enough to assuage residents’ concerns and sway them to support the project at the public meeting on Friday. Their reasons for rejecting the B40 million project was that most residents preferred to maintain the natural environment of the beach and believed nature is the reason tourists come to Phuket.
“The Movie Museum project at Nai Harn beach will be terminated,” Mr Santi said on Tuesday (Nov 24). “However, the MoTS will work with the Phuket Governor to find a more suitable place in Phuket within the coming week.”
Mr Santi added that Gov Chamroen will also meet with local community leaders within the coming week to find a more suitable locale for the movie museum.
“I spoke with Gov Chamroen right after a meeting with the MoTS budget committee in Bangkok yesterday (Nov 23). I let him know that the budget for the construction will remain with us until the end of this year, but we need to find a suitable place in Phuket,” he said.
At the meeting on Friday, many residents suggested that a new venue, such as the Phuket Gateway at Baan Tha Chatchai at the northern tip of Phuket, is a more suitable site for the project, while others pointed out that any construction near mangroves or the sea will eventually corrode because of the saltwater.
If the budget is not allocated to an approved project before year’s end, the allocated B40 million must be handed back to MoTS state coffers, he added.
Worse, the MoTS has suspended the transfer of budget funds for other projects in Phuket.
“Right now, some of the projects that the MoTS Phuket office had proposed in order to help develop the province have been halted by the budget committee because of the delay of the movie museum,” Mr Santi said.
“Four of our projects, requiring over B50 million, have been stopped by the committee in Bangkok. I feel that this is unfair for the people of Phuket. But the best we can do is to make this project happen so we can gain more confidence from the committee,” Mr Santi said.
The MoTS budget committee, is presided over by MoTS Deputy Permanent Secretary Wanasiri Morakul, and the committee’s members include directors of MoTS department, such as the Project Development Dept, Civil engineer and architecture.