Phuket Villagers -Loving the Yachtie Visitors

6:44 AM Tue 11 Nov 2008 GMT

'Chalong Bay, Phuket Thailand' .

Phuket always boasted one of the cruising grounds that land-bound weekender sailors dreamed about visiting - gentle breezes, azure skies, warm weather, easy swiming and diving in pristine aqua coloured water.. Now, three years after the devastating tsunami which ravaged the area, the local villagers are working to retain the beauty and naturalness of their home - to the benefit of visiting yachts.

When the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) arranged a public forum, the villagers were there in force, complaining about the encroaching developments which threaten to mar their natural home, and high on their list was Monkey Island in Chalong Bay a favourite haunt of visiting yachts. The DSI team also visited a marina at Ao Por, Yamu Cape, Koh Raed, and a planned marina site at Koh Sirey.

Chalong Bay Sunset - .. .

In addition the locals are trying to beef up their search and rescue efforts. Phuket recently organised a 'Champ of the Champ' contest, in which teams from six Andaman coastal provinces took part. A team from the Thaepkasartri Municipality were the winners, winning 3,000baht cash prizes and a field trip to Singapore. The response time of the team was down to 10 minutes.

Then there's the 'One Stop Service Centre' to facilitate assistance in immigration and customs for yacht skippers located at Chalong pier. It was opened a few years ago, but registration is still slow, and the local province has been now asked by locals to allocate at least half a million baht to upgrade the software programs, to improve the service by the end of this year.

...all small steps in an ongoing effort which will improve the welcome safety and enjoyment for yachts visiting Thailand and Phuket.

by Lisa Mylchreest