Govt slashes Patong, Kamala rebuilding funds

PHUKET CITY: The Cabinet yesterday approved a budget of 200 million baht to rebuild Patong Beach and a further 100 million baht to rebuild Kamala Beach, together totaling less than a third of the original budgets Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkul requested.

At a meeting of district chiefs and other top-ranking provincial officials, chaired by Governor Udomsak today, Vice-Governor Winai Buapradit announced the Cabinet’s decision to slash the rebuilding budgets, which were based on plans drawn up by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Attempting to bring the TAT’s rebuilding plans to fruition, Gov Udomsak had presented the plans to Cabinet for approval and asked for 700 million baht to rebuild Patong Beach and 305 million baht to rebuild Kamala Beach.

However, V/Gov Winai explained today, “The Cabinet denied the budget to install electricity and telephone lines underground because it is too expensive.”

The Cabinet yesterday also charged the TAT with drawing up new plans to rebuild the beaches within the confines of the budgets approved.

Suwalai Pinpradap, Director of the TAT Region 4 office, told the Gazette, “We will redesign the plans according to the budgets that have been approved. However, I cannot imagine that the new plans will be close to the originals.”

K. Suwalai added that a TAT committee in Bangkok will start work on drawing up the new plans tomorrow.