WHEN Dr Preecha Ruangjan was appointed Governor of Phuket in November last year, he knew he had a big job ahead of him.

During his first three months in the job, Dr Preecha has moved to ensure the longevity of Phuket’s tourist industry, he has taken control of conservation projects and is working overtime to cut the island’s crime rates.

He has also campaigned to reduce the holiday road toll, he has put in motion plans to combat the world’s economic crisis and rebuild Phuket’s tourist industry, and he has declared war on drug pushers in the province.

But he is nowhere near finished yet.

He has a great many more projects planned in his campaign to rebuild Phuket’s reputation as a tropical paradise.

Dr Preecha, 55, said he had more than 30 new projects lined up over the coming months, including a review of the property industry, tourist security, sorting out problems with phony taxi’s and reducing roadside billboards.

“When I first came to Phuket, I saw there were many problems, and that many things had to be changed,” he said.

One of the first problems he tackled was conservation.

Phuket’s majestic mangrove forests were being devastated by trespassers, and Dr Preecha was keen to save them from any further damage.

“We have revised our current conservation programs to maintain Phuket’s natural beauty as much as possible,” he said.

Dr Preecha also took aim at the island’s drug dealers, and in November he launched the ‘90 days without drugs’ initiative in a bid to cleanse the island of narcotics.

“But it will take a bit of time to do it, because we found there are many drugs on the island and it will be difficult to clean them all up in short term,” he said.

“We have to check every corner thoroughly.”

He also hopes to showcase the talents of Phuket’s children with a ‘Child walking street’ project on January 24.

The project aims to give to provide counseling, and community support for children affected by domestic problems, from violence, drug abuse and poverty.

Dr Preecha also understands the importance of December’s Asian Football Federation Suzuki cup football tournament coming to Phuket.

The Group B matches which included Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia were due to be played in Bangkok, but because of the ongoing political turmoil in the capital, the games were moved to Phuket.

Dr Preecha said the move sent out a message that Phuket was still a safe destination for tourists.

The Governor is also concerned about education, and in November he launched a ‘Meet student’s before class’ initiative in which he personally visited schools in Phuket and mentored students.

Dr Preecha was also a driving force behind the artificial reef project in November when a number of old warplanes were dumped off the coast of Bangtao to create an underwater mecca for divers.

He said the reef would help to support local marine eco-systems and compensate for the over-diving and erosion of Phuket’s natural reefs.

“The artificial reef is now ready and open, and we are inviting divers from around the world to visit them,” he said.

An international diving event on the reef is planned for May this year.

Dr Preecha is also keen to stay in touch with the people, and he instigated his ‘Governor’s Talk Time’ initiative, in which he discusses current issues on local cable TV.

The TV chats are seen as a bold move, but Dr Preecha said he felt it was essential to foster an open approach to communication with the people of Phuket.

The Governor is also concerned about water issues.

“Even though Phuket is surrounding by the sea, there is a shortage of fresh water on the island, because of increased water consumption,” he said.

“We will face big problems if we don’t address issues involving water shortages in our reservoirs.”

Dr Preecha knows our beaches are our best assets, and he is behind a push to promote a 24-hour sporting project to be held in March.

The notorious Patong Hill is also on Dr Preecha’s list of ‘things to do’.

He said plans were under way to widen the connecting road from Patong to Kathu, which would hopefully reduce the road toll there.

“This project has been waiting for acknowledgement, and the process will be ready to begin soon,” he said.

Dr Preecha is also keeping his eye on the island’s increasing number of bars and entertainment venues.

Following the New Year’s Eve fire in the Santika night club in Bangkok which claimed the lives of more than 60 people, he is making sure every venue in Phuket meets all the required fire safety standards.

“The number of pubs and bars in Phuket are rapidly growing that we have to inspect.

He and Regulations Vice-Governor Smith Palawatvichai have personally inspected a number of Phuket nightspots and warned owners that if they don’t comply with safety regulations, he will close them down.

He has also announced that bars and clubs which tried to dodge the regulations by pretending to be restaurants would not be tolerated.

“Exits also need to be kept clear and visible,’’ he said after touring four Phuket City nightspots.

He gave nightclub and bar owners on the island seven days to comply.

Dr Preecha said checks would be made on pubs, clubs and nightspots of all kinds during daylight and again at night.

He said officials from the Public Health Department and local tessaban administrations would check the buildings to make sure safety precautions had been taken and that they complied with safety regulations.

Dr Preecha has also ordered the closure of the Kor Tor Mor club in Phuket Town after a patron was shot and wounded there on New Year’s Eve.

“The owner needs to improve safety checks,” he said.

“Guns should not be allowed in public places like this.”

The club was closed for 15 days and is expected to reopen later this month.