Phuket: Phuket MP Anchalee questions PM Yingluck over ICEC cancellation

PHUKET: Phuket MP Anchalee Vanich Thepabutra took the opportunity to question PM Yingluck Shinawatra about the cancellation of the Phuket International Convention and Exhibition Centre (ICEC) in Parliament on Thursday (October 25).

MP Anchalee explained that former Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, had set a strategy to make Bangkok the hub for Asean tourism and Phuket as the gate for international tourism.

As part of this “Thai Kem Kaeng” (Strong Thailand) project, Phuket was awarded a budget of B2.6 billion from the cabinet. Chiangmai was also allocated B2.3 billion. The original plans were that both provinces were to spend the budget on their respective International Convention and Exhibition Centres.

The Chiangmai ICEC was built and is ready to open soon.

“Phuket people are saying that the government has robbed the project from them. They asked me to question why the cabinet has cancelled the project,” MP Anchlee said in Parliament.

MP Anchalee argued that as the Phuket ICEC budget was set during the previous party’s time in office, it should not affect Yingluck's current cabinet budget.

MP Anchalee went on to condemn the cabinet as ‘narrow-minded’ for its inaction. She asked PM Yingluck to review the project again and if it is still not approved, to 'return' the B2.6 billion.

MP Worawat Ue-Apinyakul, the Prime Minister’s Office Minister, who was in Phuket last night to dine at the Blue Elephant restaurant amongst 'other parlimentary duties', responded to many of MP Anchalee’s questions and requests with the explanation that the project was cancelled as it had failed to pass its Environmental Impact Assessment [EIA] requirements because it was to be situated in Mai Khao, in the 'last' mangrove forest land in Phuket.

MP Worawat also added that it was partly the blame of Abhisit's cabinet that it could not complete its work on time and pass the EIA by the specified deadline.

In response to this, former PM Abhisit argued that MP Worawat’s allegations were simply not true.

“Every project has its own procedure,” he said. “Many projects face problems which can cause delays and prevent it from being done on time but projects can be extended, they don’t have to be cancelled.”

MP Abhisit argued that the current government could have extended the deadline to complete the project, but that they chose not to.

Phuket generates a national revenue of around B18 billion per year, second only to Bangkok’s B40 billion.

Sourced: thephuketnews