The deadline for completion of the long-awaited new Provincial Hall building have been extended by 180 days due to “lack of workers” on the construction site, Chief of Phuket Public Relations Office Butsaya Jaipiem told The Phuket News yesterday, June 23.
“The initial contract for this project was from September 6, 2016 to May 29, 2017. Now the construction period has been extended by 180 more days, so the contract must be fulfilled by November 26, 2017. If the construction is not complete by this date, the constactor must pay the government B449,000 per day,” Ms Butsaya said.
“The contractor believes that the construction will be finished in January 2018,” she added.
The extension of the deadline came as little surprise. In January this year Chockchai Dejamornthan, then Governor of Phuket, confirmed that the initial deadline “could not be achieved because there had been changes to original plans”.
Gov Chokchai suggested November as the new completion time, though no fines for the contractor – Chun Eiew Co Ltd – were mentioned at that moment.
Talking to The Phuket News Ms Butsaya said that a special committee is overseeing the construction and two official letters have already been issued to the contractor “to rush the construction work.”
“The construction process is reported to currently be at 70.36%, which is behind the schedule. The constructor is now facing the problem of not enough construction workers,” Ms Butsaya said.
The contract to build the new seat of provincial government, located on Thakreng Rd, near Rama IX Park, was signed on September 9, 2014. The site was chosen after the provincial government lost a drawn-out battle with Phuket Town locals who objected to the new complex being built on the tennis courts and football field close to the existing Provincial Hall.
After the new Provincial Hall is complete it will become home to over a dozen of official agencies, including the Provincial Labour Office and the Provincial Governor's Office. The current Phuket Provincial Hall on Narisorn Rd will be converted into a museum.
The new Phuket Provincial Hall will be big enough to provide seats to some 1000 clerks. The administrative complex will have 295 indoor and 25 outdoor parking spaces for cars, 2 parking spaces for buses and 200 slots for motorbikes.