Phuket's Blog

Michael Jackson: MJ VIDEOMEGAMIX

Michael Jackson: MJ VIDEOMEGAMIX

Video-tributo a Michael Jackson: i clip che hanno fatto la storia della musica, i primi video con i Jackson 5, i grandi momenti live, al commozione dei fan. Un omaggio al Re del Pop. Realizzato da Stefano Carboni con incisioni discografiche originali, da vinile, sincronizzate oggi con la piu’ moderna tecnologia

PHUKET OPINION: Let’s move up from ’social engineering’

Hedonism vs asceticism: Can’t Phuket ever
take the middle road in governing entertainment venues?

PHUKET: A few years ago, the back of a best-selling T-shirt on sale in Patong listed events that had hurt Phuket’s tourism industry: ‘Phuket tourism: 2001 Bomb Alert, 2002 SARS, 2003 Bird Flu, 2004 Tsunami. What’s Next?’

The front simply read: ‘Still alive and kicking,’ a nod to the industry’s resilience.

Given the drop-off in sales of the older shirt, perhaps it is time for the producers to update their message.

Some possibilities: Military Coup (2006), One-Two-Go Air Crash (2007), PAD Airport Closures (2008), Oil Price Spike (2008) Swine Flu (2008), Chikungunya (2009), Global Financial Crisis (2009), Tuk-Tuk and Jet-Ski Crises (2009), Emergency Decree (2009), Emergency Decree (2010), Red Shirt Riots (2010).

The only problem might be finding a shirt long enough to fit them all.

On a more serious note, the political polarity in the country does represent a grave threat to Phuket’s tourism industry, even if the island itself has remained free of discord.

While Phuket may offer very good value for money to tourists who realize how little threat there is to their safety, any benefit from this will be far outweighed by the effects of the images that were broadcast daily from Bangkok and other major TV news outlets around the world .

It seems every big threat to Thailand’s tourism industry is met with knee-jerk tourism promotion schemes, such as the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) ‘road-shows’ abroad, and this latest threat is no different. Unfortunately, the TAT’s role is largely limited to that of cheerleader, with little power to actually influence events on the playing field.

More unfortunate is the fact that the one arm of the government with real power to change things – the Ministry of Interior (MoI) – has failed to address the many tourism-damaging regulations put in place during the Thaksin years under Interior Minister Purachai Piemsomboon.

All under the foreboding banner of ’social engineering’, these measures include such impractical things as tourist-unfriendly closing times and zoning laws for entertainment venues.

Recently, however, the MoI has mooted the idea of expanding the zones in Phuket and some other provinces as a way of boosting tourism.

It is unlikely that this ‘initiative’ has anything to do with the current crisis, as the MoI bureaucracy works in ways that make it generally impossible to effect important change in the short term – and not at all when governments come and go in quick succession.

Nevertheless, the idea of adding to the number of entertainment zones in Phuket offers a small ray of hope at a time when the island’s tourism prospects are gloomy indeed.

But more importantly for now, at least, let’s hope the country can continue its steps back from the brink – before zoning regulations become the least of our worries.

Phuket calm after Bangkok riots

PHUKET: Despite the recent mayhem in Bangkok, life has largely gone on as normal in Phuket – but local authorities remain on high alert to ensure continued security.

Days of rioting in the capital culminated in the planned surrender yesterday of several ‘red shirt’ United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) leaders.

But rather than spelling the endgame to the drama, the surrender enraged other red shirts, who then rioted in the streets.

They set fire to at least 30 buildings, including the enormous Central World shopping complex, which was gutted by flames and partially collapsed.

The attacks spread across the country, with provincial halls in at least four UDD stronghold provinces set on fire in the worst political violence the country has witnessed since 1992, when 53 people were killed and scores more disappeared or were injured.

Yesterday’s riots saw at least 14 people die and hundreds more injured, but with much higher property damage than in the Black May 1992 turmoil, due to the length of the protest and number of arson attacks.

Speaking to the Gazette this morning, Phuket Vice Governor Smith Palawatvichai said he didn’t think there was a serious risk of Phuket Provincial Hall being set alight, but that security had been beefed up as a precaution.

Provincial Hall normally has three night security guards, but Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop has ordered eight more members of the Phuket Provincial Volunteer Security Forces to stand guard throughout the weekend.

At the nearby Phuket office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, a fire engine with water cannon remains on standby, along with emergency rescue vehicles fitted with spotlights and other emergency equipment.

The governor ordered provincial police to seek out and act on any news or intelligence related to security threats.

Despite these and other precautions, Phuket is far from the provinces where a state of emergency is in effect and no trouble is expected here, V/Gov Smith said.

Schools, government offices and banks in Bangkok were ordered to close and a night curfew was ordered in the capital and 22 other provinces until Saturday.

For the fallout to the local tourism industry from yesterday’s events, see a copy of the Phuket Gazette due out tomorrow afternoon and available on newsstands all over the island.