Phuket Movie Museum Approved

Phuket Movie Museum Approved

Thailand’s Department of Tourism has approved a budget of THB40 million (US$1.18 million) for the construction of Phuket’s first movie memorabilia museum in Nah Harn, as reported in the Phuket Gazette recently.

According to Khun Santi Pawai, director of Phuket’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports office, the museum will display memorabilia from films by well-known, international film makers that have used Phuket and its surroundings as the setting for some of the scenes.

“We held public hearings, and locals agreed that having the museum will bring more tourists to the area, which will result in more income for them. We are looking to have more attractions on the island in addition to the natural beauty that already exists,’ said Santi.

In line with a policy to promote the Kingdom as a movie location, this is actually the third year in a row that the Thailand’s Department of Tourism has allotted funds for the construction of a movie museum. The other movie memorabilia facilities are situated in the northeast of Thailand and in Phang Nga province.

According to Santi, the museum will display memorabilia from movies filmed in Phuket and its neighbouring provinces, including Phang Nga and Krabi. Over the past several decades, these provinces have provided the setting for a variety of popular blockbusters, including The Man with the Golden Gun and Tomorrow Never Dies, both of which are two of the most famous films from the James Bond franchise.

Other famous movies to have been filmed in the region include The Killing Fields, Around the World in Eighty Days, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and The Beach, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio.Santi has high hopes that the existence of the museum will attract not only visitors, but more film makers to the area.

Santi explained that the Nai Harn site was chosen due to its close proximity to the beach so that beach-goers could make the most of the museum and its facilities as well. The facility is set to be designed to make the most of the outdoors, and will feature rest-and-relax areas, showers, toilets and a food court.

The site of the museum is among the casuarnia trees close to the beach and Nai Harn was chosen as the location because it is currently not as busy as some of the island’s other beaches.

by MAX VEE