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Geophysical Disasters -
Tsunami 2004 Recovery News in Thailand
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Tuesday, 20 September 2005 |
Phankam Kitithorakul, the Chairman of the Ao Nang Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor), which is responsible for the Phi Phi Islands, has called for greater government support, saying the islands are being overlooked, writes Sangkhae Leelanapaporn, Phi Phi Islands, Phuket Gazette, 210905 at http://www.phuketgazette.net/
Forwarded by Budhi Mulyawan 220905.
K. Phankam said that eight months after the tsunami the central government had still to help boost tourism to the islands. ?It seems that everyone has forgotten Phi Phi; they are focusing only on Khao Lak and Phuket,? he said.
?We have many rooms available on Phi Phi for tourists who want to travel here, especially [on the hillside to the east of Ton Sai Bay], which suffered little damage from the tsunami.
?Many people think that all of Phi Phi was damaged, but it was not,? K. Phankam said, adding that the islands were currently attracting about half the usual number of day trippers for this time of year.
?The government is taking too long to choose which organization will rebuild Phi Phi, and now it is as if we are still at the very first step,? he added.
However, K. Phankam did concede that since the tsunami some progress had been made: ?At the Cabinet meeting in Khao Lak [September 5-6] they decided that the Organization for Specific Areas Administration for Sustainable Tourism Promotion (OSAASTP), under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, will rebuild Phi Phi.?
He said the OSAASTP will be responsible for maintaining and improving main infrastructure on the islands, including supplying electricity and freshwater, and installing footpaths.
However, he complained that this move was long overdue, and that the decision came only after residents had pressed the central government for years to provide such services instead of private companies, which were considerably more expensive.
In the government?s defense, Suwalai Pinpradab, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office, told the Gazette, ?They [the Cabinet] are still waiting for the new redevelopment plans, just as Patong and Kamala Beaches are.?
She agreed, however, that the islands are open for business. ?Many hotels and guesthouses have been repaired and are ready to receive tourists. I think there are more than 1,000 rooms available there now. I have just been there and it is more beautiful than before, especially at Maya Bay,? K. Suwalai said.
She added that the TAT was promoting the islands abroad. ?Many tourists from Australia and the Middle East are visiting there now.
?I think that in the coming high season the number of tourists there will be about 90% of last year?s figure.?
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