New homes for Phuket sea gypsies
MAI KHAO, PHUKET: Seventeen families in the fire-ravaged sea gypsy village of Ban Hin Look Diow will move into new dwellings early next month, thanks to the efforts of Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop and Phuket Technical College students.
At a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall last week, Gov Wichai said the new homes would be handed over to the villagers in a ceremony to take place in early November.
The governor thanked the 27 vocational students who helped build the new homes and wire them up with electrical power free of charge.
The provincial government has organized the reconstruction work using three million baht in donations from various organizations.
Gov Wichai described the effort as a ‘win-win’ scenario because the students need practical work experience, while the sea gypsies could not afford to pay professional builders.
“The Hin Look Diow villagers really need technicians to wire up their homes, as the cause of the fire that partially destroyed their village was an electrical short circuit,” Gov Wichai said.
The village comprises stilted homes built of wood and corrugated zinc panels above an inter-tidal zone surrounded by mangrove forest.
Each of the 17 homes has one bedroom, one bathroom, a living room and two light fixtures.
Attending last week’s meeting were representatives of 10 organizations, including the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization, Mai Khao Municipality, the local office of the Social Development and Human Security Ministry and Phuket Technical College.
— Atchaa Khamlo
