Industrialists may become more “eco-friendly’

PHUKET TOWN: Wiboolchai Na Ranong, managing director of Toyota Pearl Co Ltd, was elected on Tuesday as the new president of the Phuket chapter of the Federation of Thai Industries, and immediately pledged to steer the chapter’s members toward being more eco-friendly. After being elected, K. Wiboolchai said that his first priority is to get more people, especially businesspeople in Phuket, to recognize the federation and understand better what its functions are. “Meanwhile, we will continue to support our members and to try to steer them in the right direction,” said the new president. That direction, K. Wiboolchai said, involves ensuring that new investment in Phuket is more environmentally-friendly; the problem in the past, he said, has been a tendency toward conflict between the tourism and industrial sectors. “And after all,” he explained, “it is well known that tourism is Phuket’s main source of income.” The Phuket chapter was founded in December 1995 and now has 47 members. At the same meeting at which K. Wiboolchai was elected, succeeding rubber exporter Dr Pongsak Kerdvongbundit, members also voted in the chapter’s new 16-member council.