Thailand: Putting plans into action

The extension of Phuket International Airport, the upgrading of Krabi Airport to international status and the development of an ‘Andaman Corridor’ highway are among long-term recovery plans laid down by the Thai government to promote and revive the six provinces hit by the December 26 tsunami.

The marketing and rehabilitation of popular tourist sites is not only seen as key to recovery along Thailand’s Andaman coast, but is also regarded as as a golden opportunity to bring ‘system and order’ to Patong’s beachfront.

Krabi Airport will be upgraded to international status in October and, when work is completed within two years, will be able to accommodate up to 10 million passengers.

International conferences and sporting events, a tsunami education centre and the development of a Marine Park for Sustainable Tourism are also part of the Andaman Recovery Plan for Phuket, Krabi, Phang-Nga, Trang, Ranong and Satun, revealed in Phuket last month.

Phuket, one of the region’s most popular destinations for international visitors, will see a diversification of its tourism product from the traditional sun and sea options to include more cultural and nature-based activities. Patong Beach, one of the region’s best-known tourist beaches, will undergo a one-year recovery programme to restore its famous beach strip into a more scenic, safer and orderly attraction, with plans for an early-warning system for natural disasters, evacuation towers, a ‘beach watch’ and fully-equipped lifeguards. Overhead cables will be rewired underground, pavements widened, and new construction set back from the beach.

A 200,000 sq metre convention and exhibition centre is also planned.

Tourism Authority of Thailand marketing director Richard Hume said recovery plans for Phuket and other tsunami-affected resorts will give agents an added boost in selling Thailand. “Many of the beaches and resorts are already looking more beautiful than they did before the tsunami, and the sea has never looked better according to our sources.

“The development plans for resorts such as Patong will bring structure and organisation to the region while retaining its colourful atmosphere, diversity and appeal.”

An interactive Tsunami Memorial Museum will open in Phang-Nga, while Kamala Beach, south of Patong Beach, will be “sensitively developed” with a focus on local culture. “Kamala is more about fishermen, families and kinship – a mix of Buddhist and Muslim. We want to promote these aspects of the culture in contrast to Patong, which is a modern tourist resort,” said Hume.

The rebuilding of Phi Phi will take 18 months – the island will again be marketed as a ‘paradise island’ for diving and adventure activities, but this time with ‘zoned’ demarcation areas for beach and sea activities and tighter controls on construction and carrying capacity. Khao Lak, a newer resort north of Phuket and popular with UK visitors, will be rebuilt once again as a more exclusive beach resort aimed at couples and families, with completion set for two years.