State land to be freed for development

PHUKET TOWN: The Treasury Department will at the end of August call for tenders to develop two plots of government-owned land in Phuket Town. Prasit Seubchana, Phuket Provincial Treasurer, explained that the private development of such land is one of the policies of the Thaksin government, which sees it as a way to encourage investment and generate revenue for the country, thereby helping to boost the struggling economy. The first piece of land is a six-rai plot near the Phuket Provincial Industrial Office, on which stands the former residence of the manager of the Standard Chartered Bank. The Treasury Department will be looking for investors interested in renovating the 93-year-old house and turning it into a restaurant with a “classic” ambiance. The second plot of land, covering 10 rai, is on Thalang Rd, where the Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority used to have its offices. The plan is to turn the site into a park, with the investors generating revenue from restaurants and a parking lot.