Thaksin invited to open Chalong Pier

CHALONG: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been invited to perform the official opening of the Chalong Pier on July 1, Wisut Santikun, Deputy President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor), announced today. The day before the opening of the pier, the OrBorJor will host a workshop and a dinner on the theme of “The direction of tourism in Phuket”, with Prime Minister Thaksin or a minister from the Prime Minister’s Office attending as guest of honor. All business owners are welcome to join both the workshop and the dinner, K. Wisut told a meeting at the Phuket Provincial Hall this morning. The program for the day and other details are currently being finalized and are expected to be announced early next week. K. Wisut also said that the OrBorJor will soon issue a call for tenders to construct shops and restaurants next to the landward end of the pier, and to supply various services to users of the pier. The OrBorJor recently awarded a contract to Seatran to manage the Rassada Port, but K. Wisut explained that the OrBorJor itself will run the Chalong Pier, and that the tenders called for will cover different aspects of construction and supply. “We will call for separate tenders, for example to supply boats with fresh water or fuel, or to run the restaurants, the souvenir shops or the parking lot.” He said that the annual cost of running the pier is expected to be about 3 million baht, while revenue should be about 4 million baht. Part of the million-baht surplus will be used for renovation of the pier, while the remainder will go to the Chalong and Rawai Tambon Administration Organizations, he added.