OrBorJor chief faces ‘Mob Monday’

PHUKET TOWN: Dr Prasit Koeysiripong, President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor), had his hands full yesterday dealing with two mass protests. The main protest came as 300 villagers from Moo Baan Saku Moo 1, in Thalang, descended upon the OrBorJor offices at 11 am to demand that their local council be ordered to build a provincially funded road to their village, as originally intended. The OrBorJor handed two million baht to the Moo Baan Saku Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) expressly for a road to be built from Thepkrasattri Rd to Saku Moo 1. However, after recent local elections, the reformed Saku OrBorTor ordered the road to be built to Saku Moo 2, much to the ire of Saku Moo 1 villagers. After an hour talking with protest leaders, Dr Prasit promised that the road will be built to Moo 1. Satisfied with Dr Prasit’s promise, the protest disbanded and the villagers headed home. However, while Dr Prasit was busy diffusing that issue, 40 Koh Maphrao villagers were assembling 200 meters away at Provincial Hall. The villagers were there to demand Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi reverse his order to close three privately owned floating restaurants off Koh Maphrao. Gov Pongpayome ordered the restaurants to close after Phuket Town District Chief Wirawat Janpen reported that none of the privately owned floating restaurants were registered with the Phuket Harbor Master. The governor had ordered K. Wirawat to investigate after receiving a written complaint that the floating restaurants were dumping food scraps and toilet waste into the sea. The governor was across town in a meeting yesterday, so the villagers lodged a complaint at the Damrongtham Center, the government center for receiving complaints from the public, which is also at Provincial Hall. The villagers then lobbied Dr Prasit to help their cause by talking with the governor.