PHUKET: The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) yesterday (Aug 4) donated a portion of the proceeds from a recent online auction of ‘lucky’ vehicle licence plates to nine people who have been impacted and left disabled by road accidents.
The auction, held on July 22 and which raised over B25 million, offered licence plates featuring the Thai letters ขจ (KorJor) with the scenic Phuket-specific background, which can be used only on private vehicles registered to carry no more than seven persons.
Starting bids for the lucky numbers ranged from B2,000 to B5,000 to B20,000, depending on the lucky number. The last number to be auctioned off, ขจ 9797, went for 97,000.
In closing the event, Pitak Arsuwan of the PLTO announced that the top successful bid was B915,000, though he did not clarify for which licence plate number; the cheapest successful bid was B27,000.
Funds raised by the licence plate auctions go towards road-safety projects carried out by the national Road Safety Fund. Yesterday this saw nine people who had been seriously injured and rendered disabled in road accidents receive aid equipment, including prosthetic limbs, walking sticks, crutches and wheelchairs.
An official ceremony was held at the Phuket Merlin Hotel in Talat Yai yesterday afternoon, presided over by PLTO Chief Adcha Buachan.
Mr Adcha was joined by: Dr Kusak Loan Kiatkul from the Phuket Provincial Public Health office; Pol. Col. Kasidin Chaikratok, Superintendent of Phuket Provincial Police Station; Dr. Piyanat Sakulpipat, Acting Director of the Primary Care Service Group at Vachira Phuket Hospital; Kornpitak Assuwan, Head of the Phuket Transport Academic Group; and Napaporn Wiriyanan, Director of the Phuket Handicapped Service Center.
Mr Adcha explained how proceeds from the plate auction allowed the purchase of equipment to help those who had been seriously impacted in road accidents. In addition to prosthetic limbs, walking sticks, cructhes and wheelchairs this included customised beds, mattresses, cushions, hearing aids, visual aids and general medical equipment and supplies.
He added that the online autcion was a worthwhile initiative that not only provided buyers with their desired, specialised number plates but that created a charity drive that could help disabled people integrate into society much easier.
