The news came at the PPAO Council budget meeting on Wednesday (Aug 11) chaired by PPAO Council Chairman Hat Katanchareekul, where it was agreed to request a total budget of B999 million for the fiscal year 2022.
Present at the meeting were PPAO President Rewat Areerob, council members and other officials.
Mr Rawat revealed after the meeting that the PPAO needs to transfer B39,522,838 from the budget allocated this year to fiscal 2022, which begins on Oct 1.
The B39mn has been earmarked for ‘new investment’ projects in the next fiscal year, including B25,315,000 to be spent on construction of a residential building for PPAO officers, he said.
“The amount of B7,890,750 is to be spent on the design and other actions for the skywalk at Promthep Cape in Rawai, and B6,313,088 is to be spent on the glass terrace at Surin Beach in Cherng Talay,” he said.
A further B40,130,000 will be spent on projects presented by the PPAO’s Public Health Department and the Transport Department, he added.
“The Public Health Department needs at total B21.13mn for their projects,,” Mr Rewat explained.
B9.95mn is to be spent on construction of a ‘multifunctional building’ at Phuket Provincial Hospital (locally called the ‘OrBorJor Hospital’). The PPAO owns the buildings and the site the hospital stands on, but the services provided by the hospital are provided by the Thonburi Hospital group.
“A budget of B9.9mn [is needed] for the development of intensive care units (ICU) and negative pressure rooms, and B40,000 for the development of the building for persons under investigation (PUI),” Mr Rewat added.
B1.24mn is to be spent on developing a ‘1669 Emergency Center’, he noted. The 1669 hotline is the national emergency number specifically for emergency medical services coordinated nationwide by the Narenthorn EMS Center.
“The Transport Department [of the PPAO] needs B19mn budget for development of piers across the island,” Mr Rewat said.