Thai PM says Phuket needs urgent “rehabilitation’

BANGKOK (The Nation): Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said on his weekly Sunday morning radio show yesterday that Phuket needs urgent “rehabilitation” and development projects.

The prime minister said he had received direct complaints from local businessmen that the central government had not done enough to “rehabilitate” the province, which has been “exploited” for tourism.

The prime minister said he would soon hold a meeting with government agencies to consider development projects for the province.

One of the projects proposed by the local businessmen, he said, is to draw water from the Chieo Lan Reservoir in Surat Thani and pipe it to Phuket.