We are trying to solve these problems because they are important issues and we care about them.
1. Transportation on the island
Many people complain to me about the traffic jams on the island, and the dangers on the roads. So far this year, there have been 27 reported accidents on the road, with 24 people injured and nine people killed.
People are complaining about the traffic without realising that the number of vehicles on the road in Phuket has increased significantly. For example, the island now has more than 2,000 minivans operating to take care of the island’s tourists.
Traffic jams always happen in busy cities such as Phuket. On the island, the main road is Highway 402, or Thepkrasattri Rd, which runs from Phuket Town, up past the Phuket International Airport, and is a busy road. The Provincial Highways Department is busy with many road building projects – these will cost millions of baht but will improve traffic on the island.
These projects include the plans for the Patong Hill tunnel, and the new 21-kilometre road running parallel to Thepkrassattri Rd from the bypass road to close to the airport, which will ease traffic congestion from the airport to Phuket Town, and cater for the growth of population and tourism.
There is also the Klong Koh Pee highway, the new four-lane highway that will connect main roads in the southern part of Phuket to Tambon Wichit and Tambon Talad Neua, and alleviate traffic in both areas. Work on this project will start soon.
All of these projects require the local residents to agree with the projects first, because it affects their life. Once they agree on the land issues, the projects will be put up for tender.
Another project is the proposed new railway which will connect Surat Thani to Phuket. This is good for the Phuket people and visitors, because they will have another transport option.
2. Phuket International Airport
At the moment Phuket is in the middle of high season, and there are many passengers and tourists using the airport. The airlines are all fully booked because it is high season, and the runway schedule is very tight.
There are plans to increase the length of the runway to allow larger aircraft to take off, but first the land appropriation needs to be agreed upon with the local people.
In April, an Indian airline will introduce more direct flights from Phuket to New Delhi, as well as special round-trip packages. Airlines are also upgrading their aircraft to larger ones, which means more people are visiting Phuket.
3. Work permits
Tourism companies have been set up in Phuket to deal with specific nationalities only, such as the Russians. People from these countries who visit Phuket are more likely to visit these companies because they speak the same language, and it is easy for the people to talk to them.
But if someone is working illegally, they have to answer to the law.
At the moment the Department of Business Development is checking foreign companies with Thai shareholders. This department will take care of these checks.
I and the three Vice-Governors of Phuket will work together to help with these checks.