Bangkok (VNA) – Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has announced that Phuket will be elevated to a premium tourism destination as efforts are underway to resolve various challenges facing the island province.
During her visit to the southern province on January 9, Paetongtarn addressed key issues related to tourism, flood prevention, infrastructure development, and traffic management.
Speaking at a meeting with state agencies and the private sector, the PM highlighted that nearly a quarter of all foreign visitors to Thailand travel to Phuket, with many choosing the island over Bangkok as their primary destination.
Therefore, the Thai government aims to focus on transforming Phuket into a high-end tourism hub, where visitor spending is expected to rise.
Noting the desire to promote Thailand as a destination for major festivals and Phuket is a well-known destination among tourists, the PM instructed agencies to find ways to deal with congestion that is affecting the island's tourism industry and speed up construction projects aimed at easing the heavy traffic.
They include a new route from Bang Muang Mai to the airport, an additional traffic lane on Highway No 4027, an elevated road construction project at a junction between Highways Nos 402, 4027, and 4025, and a study of the new Sarasin Bridge.
Paetongtarn stressed the need for authorities to crack down on criminals and influential figures operating on the island to ensure public safety, adding that Phuket's garbage problem must also be addressed.
She suggested to launch a campaign to encourage locals to sort and recycle garbage.
Thai government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said that more than 230,000 tourists, both Thais and foreigners, visited Phuket between December 28, 2024 and January 1, generating at least 8 billion THB (231 million USD) in revenue. This led to an average hotel occupancy rate of over 80%./.
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