This week, the government kicks off a campaign to woo support from the international community for its bid to host "Specialised Expo 2028". The move offers a happy ending to the latest fracas between local Phuket administrative bodies and Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Suthipong Juljarern, who had suggested that the province drop its bid to host the event.
In a leaked video conference with Interior Ministry officials on Dec 27, Mr Suthipong said he would call on the international community not to support Phuket's candidature because "the province has not taken good care of the environment, the local administration has yet to make Phuket residents aware of climate change issues and the province lacks a culture that can instigate change for the better". It was reported that the permanent secretary was upset about the low level of garbage recycling and rubbish bin management. His remarks enraged local elected representatives and Phuket residents. Last week, locals held a protest in front of Phuket's City Hall to vent their frustration against the ministry.
Make no mistake, Phuket is no idyllic pollution-free paradise. Like many big cities in Thailand, it faces problems in dealing with burgeoning waste as well as other forms of pollution, such as wastewater. The province also lacks any form of mass transit such as a light rail or tram network to help reduce emissions in the transport sector.
But that does not mean that Phuket, a world-famous tourist destination with vast experience in hosting meetings and events, should lay low and stop trying. Win or lose, competition always leads to improvement. If won, Specialised Expo 2028 could be a springboard for Phuket to reform its infrastructure and environmental performance.
So, the permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry should support, empower and inspire, instead of telling the local community it is simply not doing enough.
The fracas mirrors the frustration many local administrative bodies feel towards the central government. Locally elected representatives in Phuket have longed to become a special administration and elect their own governors like Bangkok.
Their decentralisation dream is understandable and justified. Phuket has always generated its own revenue -- 400 billion baht annually from tourists in pre-Covid times -- and the province is brimming with economic potential. The permanent secretary's remarks only emboldened the conviction that decentralisation is a must.
It cannot go without saying that this is not the first time the permanent secretary's words have landed him in hot water. Just a few weeks before, another leaked video clip of an internal meeting with ministry officials showed him call a subordinate kwai, or buffalo, meaning "stupid", after making a comment on the economy.
Mr Suthipong was shamed into making a public apology to his subordinate after the clip went viral. "I am a hillbilly and often speak bluntly like one. But I never berate people," he was quoted as saying in a press statement. Apparently, the permanent secretary is confusing speaking without thinking with plain speaking. Yesterday, the government launched a disciplinary probe against Mr Suthipong over the incident.
To be fair, the permanent secretary may just be trying to urge local officials to improve their performance and work harder. The problem is no matter how genuine his intentions may be, his way with words belongs to a long-gone, feudal era.
