Bike Rally scrambles for new site

PATONG: Phuket Bike Rally organizers are scrambling to find a new location for the event after the Patong Municipality refused to allow it to be staged on the Patong football field or along Thaweewong Rd. The announcement came on Friday after a meeting involving the Municipality and interested parties, including a representative from Club Andaman Beach Resort, which hopes to host a large proportion of the 300 or so bikers expected for the event. Present were Patong Municipality councilor Chuanchom Jaichuam; Tanet Triwut, a representative for Delice Thai Co Ltd, the event management company handling the Bike Rally; and Sommai Phasee, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and CEO of Club Andaman. Most of the activities for the February 22-28 event – including a concert by the popular Thai rock band Loso – were scheduled to be held on the football field. When asked for his reaction to the Municipality’s refusal, event organizer Harald Vesterheim told the Gazette that all further inquiries about the Bike Rally should be directed to Delice Thai. Repeated attempts to contact K. Tanet of Delice Thai were unsuccessful, but his secretary said that organizers were now trying to secure a new location for the event. Alternatives being considered are the field on Haad Patong Rd, across from Club Andaman Beach Resort, the field near the Grand Tropicana Resort on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd, and Saphan Hin in Phuket Town. The Municipality’s refusal comes as little surprise after Patong Mayor Surasak Manseeri said last week that he would “never support” the Bike Rally. Mayor Surasak is chairman of the established Phuket Bike Week event, to be held from April 5 to 10.