Unlike the breakneck pace of development that has seen areas of Phuket’s west coast turn from backwaters to boom towns, much of Phuket’s east coast has only begun to surge in recent years as new projects and developments discover its untapped resources.

One of the areas that has seen the biggest growth is Pa Khlok, where tax revenue jumped from about 4 million baht per year from 2001 to 2004 to a whopping 30 million baht in 2006 alone. Growth isn’t slowing in 2007, as developers push to move forward with the area’s next major development: the planned Yamu Marina.

The marina project by The Yamu company – a subsidiary of Campbell Kane – will have berths for 39 boats and will be a part of a hotel and villa development covering 100 rai in Ban Yamu.

Not all residents of Pa Khlok and Ban Yamu see the development of the marina as a boon to the area, however, and the village has become largely divided into two factions on the issue. Following a meeting with the governor and environmental surveyors, the marina project has been put on hold.

At a meeting with representatives of the two factions of villagers, the company, environmental groups and government officials on June 12, Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit said, “This case will take a long time and it requires a permit first. The best way to go about that is to have The Yamu company, OrBorTor (Tambon Administration Organization) Pa Khlock and the involved officers go down to the village and come to an understanding with the leaders of both groups of villagers. It is also important that the company reconsider the environmental effects again closely.”

Panya Sampaorat, President of OrBorTor Pa Khlok, explained that development trends in Pa Khlok have a surprisingly short history.

“Within the last three to four years, Pa Khlok has seen about five residential projects, a golf club, a hotel and a factory spring up in the area,” he said. “The villagers around here did not have a very good source of income before that. Their quality of life was poor, but now their lives are improving thanks to these businesses.”

But whether the villagers really want to risk their heritage and coastal-resources for a more tourism-dependent lifestyle seems to be a matter of disagreement. One small group of residents remains highly vocal in their opposition.

On April 20, a group of these disgruntled villagers met with Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima, representatives of The Yamu and other local officials to state their objections to the project. They primarily opposed the potential impact on local fisheries and the re-routing of a road that forces them to drive around the project site rather than directly to their houses.

V/Gov Worapoj responded by commanding the Phuket Provincial Land Transportation Office (PPLTO), Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office, OrBorTor Pa Khlok and villagers come to an understanding within 15 days.
The demand did not succeed, however. The May 3 meeting between Vikanda Tongnuekang, a representative from Andaman Environmental Consultants, Yamu company representatives and the group of villagers ended in a stalemate, with no consensus or common ground found.

The very next day, Anusorn Somboon, village chief of Ban Yamu, held a meeting in Ban Pa Khlok with 66 villagers, K. Vikanda and Yamu company representatives. At that gathering, villagers demanded that the pier project be stopped and the original road to Ban Yamu restored. K. Vikanda released results from an April survey of 200 villagers, showing that 75% of the villagers responded in favor of the project while just 17% were against it.

The 66 residents at the meeting expressed disbelief. They said they had not heard of the survey and were skeptical that so many of their fellow villagers could possibly be in favor of the project.

“Almost all of the villagers oppose the project,” said K. Anusorn. “After we met with Gov Niran and he informed us about the project, he said he wanted to hear results in seven days. V/Gov Worapoj was put in charge of all public hearing issues related to the project,” he said.

Unlike village chief Anusorn, OrBorTor President Panya said that the villagers had good reason to support the plan, which he says will contribute further to the OrBorTor’s bountiful coffers and create even more jobs.

“Last year the government received 30 million baht in taxes and we used 10 million baht of that to help improve the quality of the villagers’ lives. This year we expect to receive 29 million baht and we will continue to promote job growth, support education for the children and support the religious and cultural growth of the village.

Yamu Bay is home to some of the most extensive seagrass beds in Phuket. Local residents worry that the dredging required for a new pier would bury the seagrass, disturb marine life and threaten the local fishing industry.

“In the future we hope to also develop the Pa Khlok road, the view at Yamu Bay and put in more electric cables for the villagers.

“We still don’t have enough electricity and water, but we have supplied electricity to 98% or 99% of the villagers. We will continue to cooperate with Phuket Provincial Irrigation Office to install pipes to bring water to villagers who lack it.”

Last March, Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation chief Aroon Kerdsom told the Gazette that Pa Khlok was the part of the island which faced the greatest water supply problems during the dry season.

On May 29, some 200 villagers in favor of the Yamu marina plan showed their support by staging a banner-waving rally outside Phuket Provincial Hall. With representatives of The Yamu company conspicuously present, but claiming to have no influence over events, they presented to Gov Niran a document stating their support. Provincial Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Piya Bharatasilpin accepted the document on the governor’s behalf and urged the crowd to leave the area.

Group leader Bangsod Densiri, 56, said, “We came here to show our support for the Yamu marina project. Nobody put us up to this. We came by ourselves because we want Yamu to enjoy the benefits of development, just as parts of the island have,” he said.

“Phuket is a tourist destination…but the development is happening very slowly at Baan Yamu. We want the project to give villagers more jobs, more money and a better life,” he said.

In yet another tit-for-tat, on June 13 another contingent of villagers, this time only 20-strong, arrived at Phuket Provincial Hall to show their opposition and await the outcome of a hearing about the marina. They held up a banner reading, “Please oppose the disgraceful Yamu marina project, which will destroy lives and resources.”

Instead of opposing the project, the officials at the meeting accepted the complaints and said that a decision would have to wait.

Part of the stated reason for the delay is an environmental impact study of the ecological diversity of the area.

According to a survey, Pa Khlok has a total of 1,800 rai of seagrass, including 10 rai in Yamu Bay, near where The Yamu wants to build their pier. The single largest expanse of seagrass in Phuket waters, it has four species of seagrass that support a wide variety of animals, including the dugong, which is highly endangered in Thai waters.

Yamu Bay also has 75 rai of coral, according to a government survey. The survey estimates that while only 25% of that coral is still alive, the rest provides a habitat for other marine life.

While the pier will not be built directly upon either the coral or the seagrass, its construction will require the dredging of about 30,000 cubic meters of marine clay from the sea floor. Such dredging could cause suspended sediment to settle atop coral and other marine species, potentially damaging or destroying it, the survey group stated.

At a mangrove planting ceremony held June 21, Managing Director of The Yamu Ian Henry said that the damage to the area has already been done. If anything, the project stands to improve environmental conditions in the bay, he maintains.

“I don’t think that people realize that marinas create sea life, and the barnacles come in,” he said. “Both this and the marina helps to bring sea life back in and increase the fishing as well, so they can come down and fish.”

“To be honest I think if you ask people in the village they are happy, they are the ones who come to us with ideas.”

“We coexist now, so it’s important that they let us know what they want to do.”

Despite his enthusiasm, the plan has stalled for now – though it seems likely to proceed after still more negotiations are held. V/Gov Worapoj said the provincial officials are waiting for those negotiations to take place before the permits are issued.

“Both the for and against groups live together here, so we must reach a consensus,” he said. “I cannot predict the course of events, but in time the entire community must reach a single conclusion. When it does, the provincial officers will proceed following their advice.”