The high-powered ambassadorial delegation comprised Mark Kent of the UK; Brendan Rogers of Ireland; Philip Calvert of Canada; Karel Hartogh of the Netherlands and Peter Prugel of Germany.
Speaking after a 90-minute closed-door meeting, British Ambassador Kent told the press, “We had a good meeting today. We explained that we are ready to support the Phuket Governor in his efforts in making Phuket one of the most attractive tourism destinations in the world.
“There is still work to do but the Governor has set out his attention to work on these issues.”
But that requires focus on three main areas that need attention, Amb Kent noted.
“One of these is safety, whether that be people on motorbikes, jet-skis or boats; and even water quality. We want them [tourists] to be safe.
“The second area is the reputation of Phuket as a tourism destination. It still has a good image for tourists, but some of the behaviour and the prices charged by tuk-tuk and taxi drivers has led to a fall in confidence and a drop in tourists because they’re a little bit scared about what has happened, so we think this needs to be addressed,” he added.
“Third is the areas around the provision of government services such as visas and work permits for residents and some of the issues around property need to be tackled so there is clarity and transparency and no demand for additional fees which are not stipulated.”
“British tourists to Thailand still come here a lot. It is one of our most popular tourist destinations. We have one million tourists come every year, and the number of tourists to Phuket remains high.
“It is beautiful place. That’s why we want to work for mutual benefit with the governor and officials here to ensure that remains the case, that it remains a very good source of economic benefit for the locals who live here and a safe, enjoyable tourist destination for our tourists.”
Regarding jet-skis, Amb Kent noted, “We are aware that there some issues that need to be tackled.
“It is important to not just have the regulations, but to also ensure that the regulations are enforced and that the jet-ski owners act in an appropriate manner,” he said.
Going Dutch
Netherlands Ambassador Hartogh rated beach safety, beach management, accommodations, competitive pricing, including that of taxis and tuk-tuks, and specifically targeted jet-skis as key areas of concern.
“Most people in the Netherlands are not very fond of jet-skis. They want to know if Patong will change its policy. If it will not, then they will look for different beaches.
“Tourism is a very competitive industry. There are lots of other options in this part of the world to find proper beaches without jet-skis.
“Not only behalf of Dutch tourists and expats am I raising these questions, but I am also asking on behalf of the local people here, as this affects the tourism industry – and all these points could be improved on.
“The number of tourists from the Netherlands, which has always been huge, is now dropping year after year – by as much as 10-25 per cent, depending on the time of year. It is significant, and it’s a shame”
Amb Hartogh noted that the presence of jet-skis had personally affected his decision to visit Phuket beaches.
“I have been in Phuket many times. I have enjoyed the beaches with my family, but even I am hesitating to come, for example to Patong Beach, because I personally don’t like these jet-skis. And particularly because they are even allowed right in the middle of the beach, which is very dangerous,” he said.
“But I am very pleased and encouraged by the way the new Governor is dealing with this. And that we are able to ask these questions freely and discuss these issues.”
Amb Hartogh also revealed that the Gov Chamroen has agreed to resume the monthly consultations with the honorary consuls in Phuket.
“Do I think it is a good decision ? Yes I do,” Amb Hartogh said.
“It is important, but it is a work in progress,” said. “It is a partnership. We give our ideas and suggestions, and he gives his solutions, and we try to better understand each other’s positions and situations”
“I am very much encouraged by what I have to seen here today and I hope that it will continue,” Amb concluded.
A Governor’s View
Gov Chamroen assured the ambassadors that the issues cited would be given serious consideration in any future policies rolled out across Phuket.
“We must try to improve to become a world-class tourism destination. Today I received comments from the ambassadors about security issues, which includes watersports and vehicles,” he told the press.
Regarding boosting security, Gov Chamroen said, “Next year, smart CCTV will installed and operating across the of whole Phuket. I believe this will boost tourists’ confidence in security.”
The central CCTV monitoring centre will be at the Phuket Disaster Prevention and Mitigation head office at Provincial Hall.
“The CCTV will be monitored 24 hours and cover every major tourist beach. I plan to have security guards on patrol. I will try to have this up and running before the end of this year,” he added.
Present inside the closed-door meeting were Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuriphat Theerakulpisut Koondejsumrit; Tourist Police Chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit; Phuket Provincial Police Commander Teeraphol Thipjaroen; Tourism Authority of Phuket (TAT) Phuket director Anoma Vongyai; and Phuket Highways Chief Samak Luadwonghat.