Traders from the Phuket market will soon be haggling from shiny new stalls, as the Phuket city municipality council has recently approved a budget of 26 million baht to pay for the new facilities.

The construction of the new downtown market was completed on 23 June and is located on Ranong road and opposite the old market. There are 27 shop houses and the building is four stories tall. Only the interior decoration is still under construction.

The whopping 167 million baht construction budget was also paid by the Phuket city municipality, under an agreement with the traders that they will each pay for their stalls in installments over a 20 year period and over a 30 year period for the shop houses.

Mayor Somjai Suwansupana said, ?The traders handed in the proposal and we agreed. I expect the new downtown market to be complete by February of next year.

The market is part of a campaign to create a positive and clean image for Phuket town.?