The Prime Minister’s visit was confirmed by local government news agencies earlier today (Aug 6).
At 10am, PM Srettha with join a meeting at Cape Panwa to follow up on the operations of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) and the Sireetarn Marine Endangered Animals Rescue Centre.
At 11am, PM Srettha will join a meeting to discuss measures for preventing and solving mudslide problems in Phuket brought on by heavy rainfall and flooding. The meeting will be held at the Phuket Aquarium, also at Cape Panwa.
At 1:30pm, PM Srettha will preside over the opening ceremony of the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ beach conservation project launched in honour of His Majesty the King on the occasion of his 6th Cycle Birthday Anniversary, celebrated on July 28.
The launch in Phuket will be held at Patong Beach, and will be broadcast live.
The central government last week launched two coastal projects ‒ the 72 Thai Beaches Conservation and the Phuket Maritime Conservation Sandbox - to commemorate His Majesty the King’s 72nd birthday anniversary while maintaining maritime biodiversity and enhancing the country’s tourist attractions, reported the Bangkok Post.
PM Srettha and Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) Minister Pol Gen Phatcharavat Wongsuwan led the projects’ opening ceremony, joined by representatives from related sectors. Mr Srettha said oceanic and coastal sites were the country’s prominent tourism resources, generating at least B2 trillion of national income annually.
The two projects thus aimed at raising public awareness of natural conservation and supporting the maritime and coastal ecotourism industries. One of the main approaches is advocating eco-friendly packaging and the reduction of single-use plastic.
According to Mr Srettha, the 72 Thai Beaches Conservation project is a collaboration between the interior, tourism and sports ministries and the MNRE. It will be carried out in seven major coastal provinces, namely Trat, Rayong, Chon Buri, Surat Thani, Trang, Krabi and Phuket.
Focusing on the sustainability and cleanliness of the beaches, the project incorporates a national plastic waste management plan and is implemented through four main measures: the promotion of eco-friendly packaging production and sales; the promotion of those packaging uses; the promotion of waste management; and waste collection.
At least 80% of operators in the areas are expected to switch to eco-friendly packaging while local authorities are to come up with proper waste management measures, said Mr Srettha.
For the Phuket Maritime Conservation Sandbox, Mr Srettha said there is also an aim to revoke sales of single-use plastics and enhance the management of waste to prevent it from flowing from rivers and canals into the sea.
Both projects are aimed at entrusting visitors while helping with sustainable conservation, the prime minister said.