Tourism and Sports Minister Suvit Yodmani yesterday welcomed the idea of building a man-made island off the coast of Phuket to provide an exclusive mooring for billionaires' yachts, saying that it could promote a good image for Thailand's tourism.

However, he said more details of the project were needed and it must be studied further.

The project was reportedly inspired by Microsoft founder and US billionaire Bill Gates,Suwit said the government would of course support foreign investment in the sports and tourism sector.

The government committee for national tourism policies will meet to map out strategies to boost high-end tourism.

Bill and Melinda Gates reportedly visited Phuket last month on a 54-metre yacht and reportedly said they would gladly return every year if they had somewhere private to dock their "mega-yacht".

Phuket Governor Niran Kallayanamitr yesterday denied media reports he had already backed the man-made island project. But Niran said he would be "ready for a talk" if the world's richest man was serious about investing in a mega-project off the island province.

Reuters quoted the cordless telephone tycoon Gulu Lalvani as saying that Gates visited Phuket last month with his wife on a 54-metre yacht.

Gates told Lalvani that Phuket was one of "the best holidays he'd had", and he would come back every year if he could find somewhere to moor his mega-yacht.

"The governor is a close friend," Lalvani said. "We've discussed it before, but after Bill Gate's visit, he sanctioned the project," he said.

Niran said yesterday Gates had yet to contact him. "I don't know exactly how the project is going to be, because I have only received information from news report," he said.

But the governor believed a man-made island could be good for tourism, as it would attract tourists with "deep pockets".

Niran said Phuket was recently named Asia's best destination for marine tourism and marinas.

"If a world celebrity comes to invest here, Phuket also gets cov?erage," he said.

The governor said Phuket and other provinces on the Andaman coast planned to promote yachting tourism within the region.

Niran said he planned to outline the Phuket Bay development proj?ect to Gates too if the latter con?tacted him. "Currently, there are not enough marinas," he said.

However, he would also consid?er the project's impact on the envi?ronment and local people.

Investors from many countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia and India were interested in investing in hotels and marinas in Phuket, Niran said.

Phuket Tourism Association chairman Maitree Narukhatpichai said he would not object to the proj?ect, if it did not harm the environ?ment and local ways of life.

In response to reports that Gates' interest in building a large marina in the Phang Nga Bay, Phang Nga Governor Winai Buapradit said Gates had not con?tacted him.

"But if he's interested in devel?oping such a project, it's in line with our provincial strategy to promote marine tourism," Winai said.

However, Wildlife Fund Thailand co-ordinator, Thanu Nabnien expressed concern that a man-made island could harm the ecological system. "Phang Nga Bay is an Asian heritage," he said.