December and January were massive tourism months – but still less than 50% of 2019 average
Phuket is experiencing a resurgence in tourism, with the number of visitors to the island reaching nearly 50% of pre-pandemic levels, according to the director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Office in Phuket, Nantasiri Ronsiri.
According to the local TAT office, from January to December 2022, Phuket saw 9.26 million visitors, with 53.6% being domestic tourists and 46.4% being international tourists.
Ms. Ronsiri noted that foreign tourists contributed 70% of the entire revenue, while Thai tourists accounted for around 20%. The top 10 countries in terms of the number of arrivals to Phuket over the last year were Russia, India, Australia, England, Singapore, Germany, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, South Korea and the US.
The arrival numbers, published by Phuket Immigration, from November 1, 2022 – January 26, 2023, show the huge ratio of Russian vs other nationalities arriving in Thailand.
1
Russia
249332
2
India
84075
3
UK
45543
4
Australia
44657
5
Kazakhstan
44039
6
Singapore
37575
7
Germany
33783
8
Malaysia
28096
9
USA
22334
10
South Korea
24332
11
Sweeden
20460
12
France
19234
13
Israel
14682
14
China
12659
15
Finland
10999
16
Italy
10301
17
Denmark
9729
18
Hongkong
9053
19
Switzerland
8938
20
Poland
8696
21
Thailand
7211
22
South Africa
6478
23
Uzbekistan
3245
24
Canada
5696
25
vietnam
5459
“It is surprising to see Kazakhstan and America on the list, as a large group of Kazakh tourists generally choose to land and stay in Phuket for a few days before taking a trip to other destinations, such as Bangkok or Samui island.”
“As for Thai tourists, many chose to visit Phuket over the New Year’s Day period, but foreign tourists still outnumbered them. In the middle of January, 2023, Phuket welcomed three flights from China, which mostly carried business people. However, large Chinese tour groups are expected to arrive in Phuket as soon as they receive visas.”
The hotel occupancy rate in Phuket is currently at about 80%, with some places reaching 90-95%.
“But some hotels are not fully open yet, as they lack the funds to restart their operations.”
It is estimated that there are around 30% of Phuket’s hotels and businesses still closed.
Ms. Ronsiri stated that the objective for 2023 is to attract a minimum of 12 million international and domestic tourists to Phuket, while the overall target for Thailand is to welcome 23 million visitors.
Many thousands of Thais have worked in the sex industry for decades without legal protection. So it’s not surprising that most of them are looking forward eagerly to the passage of the Sex Workers Protection Bill.
“With no legal shield at all, we are exploited both directly and indirectly,” said a 37-year-old sex worker.
In the 13 years she has been selling sexual services, she has witnessed operators use harsh tactics to control sex workers and ensure they keep bringing in the money. She pointed out that owners of venues where sex is traded must themselves pay officials under the table, as prostitution remains illegal in Thailand.
Owners of so-called girly bars also fine the sex workers heavily if they fail to show up at work for a day or two. Sometimes, operators deduct money from the commission the women make on drinks bought for them by customers, hoping they will be too drunk to notice.
And since prostitution is illegal, venues providing sexual services are not registered and therefore not subject to regulations on hygiene and safety. As a result, sex workers are vulnerable to disease and on-the-job injuries.
“If the bill is passed, prostitution will become legal and the stigma against us will also fade,” said the sex worker, who is also a mother.
What is the Sex Worker Protection Bill?
The bill is being pushed by the Department of Women’s Affairs and Family Development in a bid to undo the 1996 Prostitution Suppression Act, and provide protection for sex workers, as well as improve their quality of life.
The department has commissioned Thammasat University to prepare the content of the draft bill.
“We believe the final draft will be ready next month,” department director-general Jintana Chanbamrung said.
She explained the drafting process includes brainstorming between all involved parties so they can find common ground. Also taken into account are similar laws in other countries where sex work is legal. So far, prostitution has been legalized under specific laws in at least 15 countries, including the Netherlands and Germany.
“We hope to present a bill that is acceptable to the majority,” Jintana said.
Chatchalawan Muangjan, Empower Foundation’s legal advisor, said once the bill is turned into law, sex workers will be entitled to the same state welfare that white-collar workers currently enjoy.
Key clauses and contracts
The bill stipulates that all sex workers and their clients must be at least 18 years of age. Sex workers will be protected from discriminatory practices and receive proper payment from customers or venue operators. All benefits and conditions will have to be set in writing.
Most importantly, the bill gives sex workers the right to refuse to provide services at any time. Similarly, customers too can refuse to buy the service.
In case of disputes between customers and service providers, officials will act as mediators.
The bill defines sex venue operators as intermediaries who coordinate or procure sexual services for customers, with or without benefiting from a share of the earnings.
The legislation also requires operators to seek a license, in a bid to ensure proper protection for sex workers.
The bill also prescribes the establishment of agencies that provide protection and ensure sex workers have access to legal recourse.
One such agency would be a national-level committee, chaired by the social development and human security minister and featuring the head of the Department of Women’s Affairs and Family Development, the Provincial Administration Department, the Disease Control Department and the Employment Department.
Also sitting on the committee would be the Social Security Office’s secretary-general, the National Police chief, up to three representatives of sex workers and up to three specialists appointed by the committee.
Apart from the national-level committee, under the bill every province would also have a panel that provides protection to sex workers under its jurisdiction. As well as providing protection, these committees will also offer relevant information and support for sex workers’ occupational development.
Penalties and punishment
The Sex Workers Protection Bill seeks to clamp down on child abuse and the trafficking of minors. The bill penalizes anyone who pays for sex with a minor aged 15 to 17 with a jail term of between one and three years, plus a fine of 20,000 to 60,000 baht. This penalty will be applicable even if the minor is a consenting partner.
Those who pay for sex with a minor below the age of 15 would face two to six years in prison and a fine of between 40,000 and 120,000 baht.
Meanwhile, anyone who procures a minor aged 15 to 17 for sexual services, even if it is with the youngster’s consent, faces a prison sentence of five to 15 years as well as a fine of between 200,000 and 400,000 baht.
If a parent or guardian is aware of or an accomplice in such a transaction with their child, they face up to 20 years in jail and a maximum fine of 400,000 baht.
People who are worried that youngsters may be lured into the flesh trade suggest that the bill revise the minimum legal age of sex workers from 18 to 20 or even 25.
Will this law make sex work more attractive?
Chatchalawan does not believe the passage of the Sex Worker Protection Bill would encourage more people to jump into the flesh trade, pointing out that it aims to protect sex workers, not promote their occupation.
“We will attend all brainstorming sessions and forums related to the bill to ensure that the views are balanced,” she said.
Legal recognition for sex work may also help reduce the social condemnation attached to the trade.
One female sex worker said she does not understand why people in the sex trade face so much stigma. She pointed out that sex work does no harm to others, and those in the trade are merely offering what little they have to make ends meet.
“This job allows me to support my family financially,” she said.
Tunyawaj Kamolwongwat, a Move Forward Party member and spokesperson for the House committee on youth, women, the elderly, ethnic people and LGBTQ, said his party would push through the Sex Workers Protection Bill if it gained power after the upcoming election.
“But even if we end up in the opposition camp, we will continue pushing hard for the passage of this bill,”
Residents near Mudong canal in Wichit,
Phuket, are calling for officials to stop wastewater flowing into the
canal and out to sea. Dead animals have been found floating on the
canal.
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Yesterday (August 22) officials from the Environment Office Region 15 Phuket and others inspected the Mudong canal.
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Residents said the water is black and has a bad smell all along the
canal. Dead shrimps, crabs and fish have been found floating on it.
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The environment office’s Kanchit Sunthornkarn said: “At this stage we
have found that wastewater is coming from sewage produced by the
community. There are housing estates, restaurants and houses.
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“We have to control the wastewater problem from the original sources.
The law must be enforced by officers. We still don’t have the technology
to solve wastewater in the canal once it has made its way into the
canal system. If we add more microorganisms, it will be worse.
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“For a short-term solution, we have to use natural treatment because the
black water in the canal is caused by the drains. For a longer-term
solution, we have to find the original sources. Wastewater has to be
treated before being released into the canal.”
For the millions of sun seekers who head to
Thailand’s resort island of Phuket each year in search of stunning beaches and clear waters, cutting down on waste may not be a top priority.
But the island’s hotel association is
hoping to change that with a series of initiatives aimed at reducing the
use of plastic, tackling the garbage that washes up on its shores, and
educating staff, local communities and tourists alike.
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“Hotels unchecked are huge consumers and users of single-use
plastics,” said Anthony Lark, president of the Phuket Hotels Association
and managing director of the Trisara resort.
“Every resort in Southeast Asia has a plastic problem. Until we all
make a change, it’s going to get worse and worse,” he told the Thomson
Reuters Foundation.
Established in 2016 and with about 70 members – including all
Phuket’s five-star hotels – the association has put tackling
environmental issues high on its to-do list.
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Last year the group surveyed members’ plastics use and then began looking at ways to shrink their plastics footprint.
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As part of this, three months ago the association’s hotels committed
to phase out, or put plans in place to stop using plastic water bottles
and plastic drinking straws by 2019.
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About five years ago, Lark’s own resort with about 40 villas used to
dump into landfill about 250,000 plastic water bottles annually. It has
now switched to reusable glass bottles.
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The hotel association also teamed up with the documentary makers of
“A Plastic Ocean”, and now show an edited version with Thai subtitles
for staff training.
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Meanwhile hotel employees and local school children take part in regular beach clean-ups.
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“The association is involved in good and inclusive community-based
action, rather than just hotel general managers getting together for a
drink,” Lark said.
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CREATORS AND VICTIMS
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Phuket, like Bali in Indonesia and Boracay in the Philippines, has
become a top holiday destination in Southeast Asia – and faces similar
challenges.
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Of a similar size to Singapore and at the geographical heart of
Southeast Asia, Phuket is easily accessible to tourists from China,
India, Malaysia and Australia.
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With its white sandy beaches and infamous nightlife, Phuket attracts
about 10 million visitors each year, media reports say, helping make the
Thai tourism industry one of the few bright spots in an otherwise
lacklustre economy.
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Popular with holiday makers and retirees, Phuket – like many other
Southeast Asian resorts – must contend with traffic congestion, poor
water management and patchy waste collection services.
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Despite these persistent problems, hotels in the region need to
follow Phuket’s lead and step up action to cut their dependence on
plastics, said Susan Ruffo, a managing director at the U.S.-based
non-profit group Ocean Conservancy.
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Worldwide, between 8 million and 15 million tonnes of plastic are
dumped in the ocean every year, killing marine life and entering the
human food chain, UN Environment says.
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Five Asian countries – China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and
Thailand – account for up to 60 percent of plastic waste leaking into
the seas, an Ocean Conservancy study found.
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“As both creators and ‘victims’ of waste, the hotel industry has a
lot to gain by making efforts to control their own waste and helping
their guests do the same,” Ruffo said.
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“We are seeing more and more resorts and chains start to take action,
but there is a lot more to be done, particularly in the area of
ensuring that hotel waste is properly collected and recycled,” she
added.
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CHANGING MINDS, CUTTING COSTS
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Data on how much plastic is used by hotels and the hospitality
industry is hard to find. But packaging accounts for up to 40 percent of
an establishment’s waste stream, according to a 2011 study by The
Travel Foundation, a UK-based charity.
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Water bottles, shampoo bottles, toothbrushes and even food delivered by room service all tend to use throw-away plastics.
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In the past, the hospitality industry has looked at how to use less
water and energy, said Von Hernandez, global coordinator at the “Break
Free From Plastic” movement in Manila.
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Now hotels are turning their attention to single-use plastics amid growing public awareness about damage to oceans.
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“A lot of hotels are doing good work around plastics”, adopting measures to eliminate or shrink their footprint, said Hernandez.
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But hotels in Southeast Asia often have to contend with poor waste management and crumbling infrastructure.
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“I’ve seen resorts in Bali that pay staff to rake the beach every
morning to get rid of plastic, but then they either dig a hole, and bury
it or burn it on the beach,” said Ruffo. “Those are not effective
solutions, and can lead to other issues.”
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Hotels should look at providing reusable water containers and refill
stations, giving guests metal or bamboo drinking straws and bamboo
toothbrushes, and replacing single-use soap and shampoo containers with
refillable dispensers, experts said.
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“Over time, this could actually lower their operational costs – it
could give them savings,” said Hernandez. “It could help change mindsets
of people, so that when they go back to their usual lives, they have a
little bit of education.”
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Back in Phuket, the hotel association is exploring ways to cut
plastic waste further, and will host its first regional forum on
environmental awareness next month.
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The hope is that what the group has learned over the last two years
can be implemented at other Southeast Asian resorts and across the wider
community.
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“If the 20,000 staff in our hotels go home and educate mum and dad
about recycling or reusing, it’s going to make a big difference,” said
Lark.
“Pantai indahnya selalu bikin kangen!” Pulau di Laut Andaman ini sudah dikenal dengan keindahan alam dan laut yang jernih. Sekalipun 10 tahun lalu pernah hancur tersapu tsunami, Phuket mampu bangkit dan kembali jadi salah satu tujuan wisata paling diminati turis internasional. Atas undangan Tourism Authority of Thailand dan Air Asia Indonesia, CC kembali menikmati keindahan […]
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A stone’s throw from Patong Beach, the luxurious Amari Phuket features spectacular views of the Andaman Sea from its private beach. It has 2 outdoor pools, a first-class spa and 2 dining options. Free Wi-Fi is available in the public areas.
In southern Phuket, just under 1.6 km from Bangla Road and Jungceylon Mall, Amari Phuket provides free shuttle services to Kata Beach. It is a 55-minute drive from Phuket International Airport.
Bright and airy, rooms come with private balconies and beautiful views. Amenities include satellite TV, DVD player and tea/coffee-making facilities.
Breeze Spa features a wide range of beauty treatments. Relaxing massages and therapies can be enjoyed from sea-view pavilions. The hotel also provides an outdoor hot tub and a fitness center.
La Gritta serves Italian dishes, and Voyager Lounge serves Thai cuisine. Seaside international dining is available at Rim Talay and the spectacular Jetty Restaurant. Drinks are served at Samutr Bar.
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