Phuket disaster center opens after nearly a decade of delays
The opening ceremony was held at the auspicious time of 9:09am yesterday (May 18), presided over by Vice Admiral Veerudom Muangchin, Commander of the Royal Thai Navy Region 3, with PPAO President Rewat Areerob…
A long-delayed disaster center in Phuket was formally opened at 9:09am on May 18 at Tha Chatchai, with Vice Admiral Veerudom Muangchin presiding over the ceremony and Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation President Rewat Areerob delivering the project report. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Centre is intended to strengthen response capacity in the north of the island after years in which the government-built complex stood unused.
Senior military and administrative officials attended, including Maj Gen Somkid Boonchot, commander of the 41st Military Circle, along with local leaders and representatives from the Phuket Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
Centre set up for round-the-clock emergency coordination
Rewat said Phuket’s tourism growth, wider economic expansion and increasingly volatile weather have increased exposure to floods, landslides, fires and marine accidents. He cited recent incidents in Karon and Chalong as examples of why a fully equipped, rapidly deployable response base was needed.
He said the facility will act as a central cooperation hub linking policy, personnel, resources and volunteer networks to provide assistance 24 hours a day.
The center will also serve as a training base for emergency drills, disaster-response coordination and medical support operations. It is also designated as a mobilisation point for volunteer rescue organisations and for inter-agency equipment deployment.
Idle state complex was rehabilitated after transfer
The facility stands on more than 14 rai of state land in Tha Chatchai that was transferred from the Treasury Department to the PPAO for development. The site includes three buildings that had been left idle for years before renovation works made them operational.
The project was originally built with a central government budget of about B131 million and was meant to be completed nearly a decade ago, according to earlier inspections by the National Anti-Corruption Commission Phuket office. The buildings were later left unused because works were incomplete and the structures had deteriorated.
After the PPAO took over the site in 2024, repairs worth about B1.37 million were approved to rehabilitate the complex. NACC officials later inspected the site to monitor progress and urged compliance with public asset management procedures.
Source: https://www.thephuketnews.com/disaster-centre-opens-after-decade-long-delay-100284.php
