Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong announced the news yesterday (Aug 2) during an inspection of the 96-rai site near Baan Riang in Thepkrasattri, near the heart of Thalang Town.
The museum is to relate the history of Phuket’s renowned and revered Heroines – Thao Thep Krasattri and Thao Sri Soonthorn – as well as the history of Thalang, he explained.
Governor Norraphat said adjust the monument needed to be outstanding and beautiful in order to “recall the goodness of Thalang heroes and history”.
He also called for the area to be landscaped around the monument for the cultural market to attract tourists. The cultural market will occupy the remaining 60 rai at the site.
The Governor added that the Phuket Povincial Office had set an administration committee to drive the project forward and co-ordinate work so that it had clear direction.
“Any operation around the monument must be approved by this committee. Today, a design contractor has presented the initial draft. The draft will be presented to the committee at its next meeting,” he said.
Governor Norraphat has campaigned heavily for the site, often called in English the ‘Phuket Historical Park’ to move ahead,
The Governor especially ramped up his push for the park project in January in the run-up to the annual Thao Thepkrasattri and Thao Sri Soonthorn Festival held in March, as he believes Thalang Town deserves regaining its status as a critical part of Phuket’s historical and cultural heritage. (See stories here and here.)
However, no budget figures for the project were announced or clarified yesterday.
The original budget announced for the entire project amounted to a staggering B350 million for the park – and that was in 2013. (See story here.)
In 2016, it was announced that B42 million was to be spent on a landscaping, a pumphouse and some exercise swings at the site. (See story here.)
The announcement of the B42mn to be spent came from Watcharin Patomwatthanapong, who at the was Chief Administrative Officer of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO, or OrBorJor). (See story here.)
Mr Watcharin is now Acting President of the PPAO as after former Paiboon president died in office after the military takeover in May 2014. (See story here.)
However, despite the B42mn including landscaping around the monument, Gov Norraphat maintained that the area needed to be landscaped again.