Thai government urged to review Phuket’s int'l conference hall project

BANGKOK, October 20 (TNA) - Several parties in Thailand's southern Phuket province has urged the government to review a plan to construct an international conference centre in the globally-renowned resort province, viewing that the rejection of the project should affect the national competiveness to neighbouring countries. Anchalee Vanich Theppabutr, an MP representing Phuket of the main opposition Democrat Party, said Saturday that she did not understand why the Thai Cabinet did not approve the plan to build the centre, worth some 2.6 billion baht, at its meeting on October 2. Anchalee insisted that the project has already passed an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and the proposed centre is considered necessary for Phuket and other southern Thai provinces along the Andaman Coast, as it will further boost local tourism. According to the MP, Phuket is now ranked second, after Bangkok, in terms of earning Thailand tourism-related revenues and for this reason the government is demanded to clearly explain why it has not approved the project. Somboon Jirayus, former chairman of Phuket's Tourism Association, also opined that the international conference centre, if built, could help boost national competitiveness and local tourism, especially from the Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions industry (MICE) in nearby Phang-nga and Krabi resort provinces. (TNA)