Picture: Manager
Thailand's tourism minister Pipat Ratchakitprkarn had a stark message from prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha when he visited Phuket ahead of the island's opening to international tourism next week.
Don't let Phuket's infamous mafia spoil the party.
With this in mind all the pick-ups at the airport will be registered drivers and no taxi mafia will be allowed.
Around 300 tourists are expected on the big day next Thursday.
Manager reported that deputy governor of Phuket Phichet Panapong outlined the readiness of the island for the start of "Phuket Sandbox" on July 1st at a meeting at the international airport yesterday.
International tourists who have received two doses of WHO and Thai authority approved vaccines will have to stay on the island for 14 days before going elsewhere. Their movements will be tracked by compulsory apps.
Picture: Manager
Pipat said just a few minor matters remained to be sorted but that Phuket was 100% ready and he was "waiting for the first tourist to arrive at the airport".
Then the question was: "How many?"
Pipat said that on Thursday he was expecting something around 300.
But not to worry, when others see how safe it is they will decide to come and he was expecting increasing numbers in the last three months of the year.
He said that the latest Tourism Authority of Thailand assessment was that 100,000 visitors in the next three months will spend 9 billion baht.
He said this was down on previous assessments by 30,000 people after it was decided to change the requirement to stay on Phuket from 7 days to 14.
"Be that as it may," he said "Thais and foreigners will all be safe".
Then he mentioned that one big concern of the PM, the mafia.
It was clear that with so much resting on the Phuket Sandbox as regards the immediate future of Thai tourism the government did not want the mafia putting a spanner in the works and upsetting foreign tourists, notes Thaivisa.
Planning to visit Phuket? Book your Sandbox hotel here
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