New Governor flies in tomorrow

PHUKET TOWN: Phuket’s new Governor, Charnchai Soontharamut, will arrive in Phuket tomorrow. He will be met at the airport by the province’s vice-governors and members of the local civil service before being whisked away on a tour of the island. But conspicuously absent from the airport greeting will be 60 of Phuket’s top movers and shakers. They leave tonight on a tour bus, heading for Kanchanaburi with the outgoing Governor, Chadej Insawang. One of Khun Chadej’s closest pals, Panu Massiratna, director of marketing of the Patong Resort hotel, told the Gazette, “Members of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce and his other friends from the private sector wanted to escort the Governor to his new home.” He added that the trip, organized by the Phuket Tourist Association and including transport and one night’s accommodation, was, at 2,000 baht a head, very good value. The bus journey is 12 hours each way, so Khun Chadej’s escorts will not arrive back in Phuket until Saturday. Meanwhile, the new Governor will arrive for work on Friday at 8:29 am precisely. He will pay his respects to the statue of King Chulalongkorn, in the Provincial Hall grounds, before getting down to work.