PIMEX officially opened by Phuket Governor

by Image Asia Events on 9 Dec 2005 The Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura officiated at last night’s opening of PIMEX 2005. He praised the shows organisers and said ‘that there was there is no doubt that international events like PIMEX helped project Thailand’s marine leisure industry onto the world stage.’

He welcomed the international participants to Phuket, Thailand and thanked for choosing to PIMEX to promote their products. ‘Thailand’s growing marine leisure industry – whether through export, import, boat building, yacht charter holidays, and marina construction is well underway. The Thai government has earmarked marine tourism and all that goes with it as a key growth area and Phuket is a key player in that growth.’

‘When the first Phuket Boat Show was held here in 2003, import taxes on boats were still high compared to some of our neighbouring countries. Since then, all import taxes have been scrapped as an incentive to build Thailand’s leisure boating fleet. The organisers of PIMEX tell me that this year there are many more boats in the show than before – a sure sign that the scrapping of import taxes is working.”

‘But the dropping of import taxes was only the first step, and we are look to restructure and update regulations in a way that will encourage growth. But governments do not build industries. It is our job to create an environment where business can flourish, but it is up to the private sector to be the engine of growth. Phuket has had a growing marine leisure industry for many years and given the beauty of Phang Nga Bay and the Andaman Sea, this growth was inevitable.’

‘But the task before us now is to take that industry to a much higher level. We aim to become an internationally recognized, world class marine tourism destination. And, while Phuket is today the strongest player in the field, opportunities exist throughout Thailand’s 1,000 miles of coastline. Koh Samui, Pattaya, Koh Chang, Krabi and others all have new marinas on the drawing board. All are set to play their part.’

‘Events such as PIMEX offer a showcase for what Thailand can do and for the business and investment prospects available. They provide an opportunity for the private sector to get together and capitalize on the marvellous opportunities just around the corner. We can already see the benefits of the new enthusiasm for the marine leisure industry. Next door, Royal Phuket Marina – Phuket’s newest marina – has recently opened. Around Phuket’s coastline, several other new marinas are in various stages of planning. In my office, we hope to facilitate these developments so that Phuket’s marine leisure industry can grow to reach its full potential.’

www.phuketboatshow.com