Rise in registrations continues

PHUKET: As of May 20, Phuket’s official population stood at 318,538. The figure was up 7,868 people from January 31 when the province launched a campaign to increase the number of Thai citizens whose names appear on household registration forms in the province.

Phuket Provincial Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Piya Bharatasilpin reported the increase to Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima during the monthly meeting of the Phuket Provincial Security Committee held this morning at the ST Hotel.

Precisely 3,721 new residents, or almost half of the total, were added to the provincial scrolls for the one-month period starting April 21, perhaps indicating that the registration effort is picking up steam.

Of these, 2,322 were in Muang District, 464 in Thalang District and 935 in Kathu District.

Also contributing to the rise were 144 babies being born during the period in the three districts, compared with just 71 deaths.

However, the three district offices reported a combined total of 826 people removed from registration forms over the same period.

The registration drive was initiated by Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit shortly after taking office late last year as a way of more accurately reporting the actual number of residents and getting a bigger slice of the government budget pie.

Phuket’s actual population is widely thought to be at least double the reported figure due to the large number of migrant workers who move here from other provinces but never register as residents.