Chan Wongsattayanon, chairman of the Phuket Citizens Council executive committee, handed the formal proposal to Governor Narong Woonciew earlier today (Feb 14).
Mr Chan explained that the Phuket Citizens Council had conducted a public opinion survey from Dec 25 to Jan 31, gaining feedback from 783 respondents.
The majority, 77.4%, agreed with the idea, Mr Chan said.
Only 4.5% of respondents disagreed, while 18.1% said they did not have enough information to form an opinion, he added.
While conducting the survey, the respondents were shown what the arts and culture centre would like through paintings by Phuket artist Watcharin Rodnit, a member of the Phuket Citizens Council, Mr Chan added.
Governor Narong said he was pleased to accept the proposal, and that he was ready to support the idea.
“However, it has to be planned as best as possible for the benefit of all parties,” Governor Narong said.
“Connecting tourism and culture is what Phuket is all about. We want to drive this aspect to become a reality, especially to promote tourism coupled with driving unique strengths according to the concept of ‘buildings, foods and clothing’ to be a selling point and create sustainable pride in Phuket’s identity,” he said.
The move follows the opening of the B450 million “new Phuket Provincial Hall”, located on Tha Kraeng Rd, near Rama IX Park (Suan Luang), late last year.
A blessing ceremony for the new building was held in November. By that time some 20 government agencies started operating from the new site on Oct 1, with approximately 486 government officers and staff now working there.
Meanwhile, the old building on Narisorn Rd continues to be called the “(old) Phuket Provincial Hall”, with some government agencies still occupying offices there.
The old building was constructed during the years 1907-1913, while Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi, better known as Khaw Simbee Na Ranong, was Governor of Monthon Phuket, which at the time included all the Andaman provinces from Ranong to Satun.
Of note, local officials refer to the building’s age from when construction began, not when construction was completed.
His Majesty King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) proclaimed the “Phuket City Hall” open during his second visit to Phuket on April 22, 1917.
The Fine Arts Department under the Ministry of Culture had the building declared a protected historic site through a proclamation in the Government Gazette on May 10, 1977.
The classic “colonial style” building featured as the French Embassy in Phnom Penh in the 1984 British biographical drama ‘The Killing Fields’ about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.
The Public Relations Department itself has described the building as “colonial architecture, designed and its construction supervised by an Italian craftsman”.