The Act might include the right of Phuket people to elect their own governor and the right of local authorities to use tax collected from Phuket people for the development of the island.
“We’ve been talking about setting up a special zone for Phuket for decades, but the central government will not respond if Phuket people don’t make the effort to push for it,” said Phuket Self-Management Network (PSMN) member Tanu Nabnien.
The issue of Phuket being given special status has been raised many times in the past 30 years by local intellectuals and activists, and the PSMN, established early this year, aims to build on those initiatives.
It has also been driven by local frustration at seeing Phuket increasingly exploited through corruption.
“Phuket has been called an international city. But in reality, the island hasn’t yet reached international standard, mainly because corruption has taken Phuket’s benefits. Corruption has terribly degraded our home,” said Mr Tanu.
Similar movements have been springing up in other parts of Thailand.
In Chiang Mai there are moves to push for self-management, as in Phuket.
In Mae Sot, a border district in the western province of Tak, people are agitating for designation as a special economic zone, and in Pattani province there are moves to get metropolis status – similar to Bangkok and Pattaya – for the three troubled southern provinces.
In each case, the root desire is the right of local people to choose their own economic direction and form of government, in order to solve problems.
In Phuket, much of the activists’ concern centres on corruption leading to the destructive exploitation of natural resources for personal gain.
An example of the kind of sad stories circulating locally is that of a former governor who, days before he was due to retire, signed his approval of a number of title deeds for land covered in original forest or on steep slopes, which may not legally be occupied.
“Many people come here and when they go, they leave scars on the island and get away with it,” Mr Tanu added. “We would like to elect a person we can trust who would lead our home to sustainability.”
In addition, political conflict in national politics has caused conflict among local politicians and with government officials sent to the island on the orders of Bangkok. These conflicts, Mr Tanu believes, affect the island’s social and economic direction, and lead to environmental problems.
“We would like the government to devolve power to the people of Phuket, who would have their own power to create their own opportunities,” he said.
One thing that rankles is the amount of tax the island contributes – Phuket is one of top-ranked provinces in terms of it contribution to government coffers.
Phuket’s contribution to state revenue is not easy to calculate, partly because major hotel and supermarket chains pay tax in Bangkok, but there is widespread belief that the island sends huge amounts of its tourism income in the form of taxes to the central government, but receives from Bangkok only a dribble – some B7 billion – to be used for the good of the island.
Of that, according to last year’s records, 71 per cent is spent on government offices and the operation of the bureaucracy, controlled by Bangkok. This leaves only 29 per cent – about B2 billion – for local elected bodies.
When corruption takes place, it creates an economic gap between local people and influential people, because the opportunities local have to benefit from public funds are reduced.
Since the beginning of this year, the PSMN has organised public hearings and discussions with local people to build understanding of the concept of self-management, and to encourage them to get involved in long-term visions of Phuket’s development.
So far at least 300 people are actively supporting the PSMN, whose members hope that more will come forward to take part in drafting the Phuket Self-management Act.
“We can’t rush people into understanding self-management. They will need time to decide if they want self-management in Phuket,” said Mr Tanu.
“But at least, they have to make a start.”