On landing in Phuket, PM Srettha will join a meeting at Phuket International Airport, where he will be briefed on several projects to reduce traffic congestion and facilitate safe travel to Phuket, and the expanding of routes to accommodate tourists, explained a report by the Phuket branch of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket).
PM Srettha will then travel to inspect the area where the elevated road is to connect to Route 4027, the circular road through Pa Khlok which joins Thepkrasattri Rd at the northern end to facilitate people traveling to the airport.
The Prime Minister will the travel to Sarasin Bridge to listen to a presentation on the construction of the “new Sarasin Bridge project”, said the report.
The presentation will also include details of the construction to be carried out at the Heroines Monument, the report added.
“The government is ready to support and request that operations be expedited to be able to accommodate tourists quickly and effectively, by considering the use of the budget and the construction period to be appropriate, and being the most effective and beneficial to the people as a whole is extremely important in the implementation of the various construction projects,” said the report.
“The impact on the environment and the suffering of the people must be considered as well,” the report concluded.
PM Srettha was last in Phuket in December, to enjoy a private holiday with family.
Before that, Thai media was agog for PM Srettha’s visit to oversee a marine safety demonstration in Patong on Dec 1 aimed at convincing tourists that Phuket is a safe destination for people to spend their holidays.
Phuket was host to PM Srettha’s first official visit outside Bangkok. The visit, on Aug 25 last year, came less than 48 hours after he was royally endorsed as the 30th Prime Minister of Thailand.
During that visit, he was presented with many critical issues negatively affecting Phuket’s development as a tourism destination.
He returned in late September to follow up on promises to develop Phuket’s tourism and transport infrastructure as a way of boosting the revenue generated by the island for the national economy.
However, with positive action dawdling, in November last year Rewat Areerob, President of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO), petitioned the Prime Minister to expedite measures to alleviate Phuket’s traffic congestion, and to push for the PPAO to operate electric-powered buses in and around Phuket Town