The Baan Laem Tukkae Sea Gypsy Cultural Centre, built in 2010 on more than four rai of land in Moo 4, Ratsada, was originally pitched as Asia’s first “New Thai Cultural Center” to showcase the traditions of the Urak Lawoi people and boost cultural tourism.
But the project stalled within six months, was never completed, and has remained derelict ever since.
Construction began in 2010 under the Phuket Office of Public Works. Though hailed as a green, self-sustaining “living museum”, the project was handed over unfinished to Ratsada Municipality in 2012. Multiple attempts to revive or repurpose the site have since failed.
Phuket MP Chalermpong Saengdee said the original budget was B5.4 million, drawn from the 2010 provincial funds and the national Thai Khem Khaeng stimulus package. In 2017, Ratsada Municipality requested a further B50 million for renovations ‒ but the proposal quietly disappeared with no explanation.
Now overgrown with weeds and falling into decay, the site is once again under scrutiny. When asked about its future, Mayor Jirayut claimed: “I had no information or plans for the abandoned buildings,” and declined to comment on why it was never finished, citing that he was not in office at the time.
Despite holding the top municipal post, Mr Jirayut offered no clear plan for the site’s redevelopment, instead suggesting the issue should be handled at the provincial level.
MP Chalermpong, meanwhile, has proposed repurposing the land to build a large water tank and pressure pump system to help with local water shortages, or possibly using the site for a long-proposed drug rehabilitation centre.
“The buildings are a lost cause. Let’s turn this wasted space into something that actually benefits people,” he said.
The fate of the centre has been the subject of concern for years. In 2014, the facility was threatened with demolition after Ratsada Municipality inherited the site and found it incomplete and structurally unsound.
Deputy Mayor at the time, Pawat Suppasuwan, said the centre was missing key facilities including toilets, doors and a stage, despite promises during construction.
He labelled the project a waste of money, noting that B1 million had already been spent on upkeep, with another B1 million approved.
“It’s just a toilet for dogs and a hideout for drug addicts now,” village chief Opas Jitpaen said in 2014, lamenting that the promised living museum was never delivered.
Plans to turn the facility into a cultural tourism stop as part of island tour packages never materialised. Discussions about its future are ongoing, but no formal decisions have been made.
Additional reporting by Natnaree Likidwatanasakun