Plans for the museum are still at a very early stage but some details were revealed to The Phuket News today (April 30) by Phuket Tourism & Sports Department Director, Santi Pawai, who said that Nai Harn Beach is the likely location for the museum.
“The museum will feature memorabilia from movies filmed in Phuket and neighbouring provinces such as Phang Nga and Krabi.
“The museum itself will be very attractive and we hope that it will help bring more visitors to the Nai Harn Beach area,” said Mr Santi.
The site will be among the casuarnia trees next to beach. Mr Santi said that Nai Harn was chosen as the location because it has a beautiful beach that is currently not as popular as the island’s other beaches.
He hopes that the existence of the museum will attract film makers to the area.
Mr Santi added, “Most of the movies filmed in Phuket are foreign movies, with only a few being Thai. A team from Bangkok is currently gathering information on all the movies that will be exhibited at the museum.”
With regards to the museum itself, Mr Santi said that it will have an “outdoor-style” design and will include facilities for beachgoers such as rest-and-relax areas, showers, toilets and a food court.
“The budget for this project is B40 million, and the project will be funded and managed by the Tourism & Sports Department in Bangkok.
“After the plans are completed, construction of the museum is expected to be finished within six months,” Mr Santi concluded. No date has yet been set for completion.
The site was inspected last week by a Tourism Department team led by department director Suban Prakongjai, Mr Santi and Rawai Mayor Arun Sorot.
Over the years, places in Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi have been the locations for scenes in a variety of blockbusters including Tsunami: The Aftermath, The Man with the Golden Gun, Tomorrow Never Dies, The Killing Fields, Around the World in Eighty Days, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of Sith, The Beach and, most recently, Mechanic II.