By Wang Fengjuan

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Phuket Seeks Expanded Cooperation With Chinese Cities

By Wang Fengjuan

Phuket is renowned for its sunshine， sandy beaches， cultural shows and seaside entertainment. But this is only one aspect of the southern Thai province's attraction， as the province in recent years has grown into a cooperative force with China.

On May 18， China Report ASEAN sat down with Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat， who was attending the Inaugural Cities Forum of the United Nations Maritime-Continental Silk Road Cities Alliance （UNMCSR CA） in Fuzhou， capital of southeastern China's Fujian Province. Amornwat discussed the unique bond Fujian and Phuket now share， as well as his province's unique position as one of the world's most iconic islands.

China Report ASEAN： In recent years，with the Belt and Road Initiative， China has strengthened its communication and cooperation with the Thai Government， as well as NGOs in Thailand. In your view， what development opportunities can Phuket Province seize from this initiative？

Chokdee Amornwat： We are supportive of the “Belt and Road”. The initiative aims at promoting the cooperation among the cities along the routes for common development and prosperity， with the five major goals of policy coordination， facilities connectivity， unimpeded trade， financial integration and people-to-people bonds. The timing for the proposal was perfect. Both China and ASEAN will benefit from that. New expressways， high-speed rails and sea lanes will be built along the Belt and Road， which will undoubtedly strengthen the connection between China and Thailand. One of the five major goals is facilities connectivity， focusing on large scale infrastructure. This connectivity brings us not only conveniences in highway， railway and ocean transportation，but also favorable conditions for the exchanges between Phuket Province and China in tourism， technology， education and talent introduction.

China Report ASEAN：The island of Phuket enjoys a worldwide reputation， attracting large number of tourists every year. What advantages do you think the island has in terms of tourism？

Chokdee Amornwat： Phuket is the largest island of Thailand， with 32 offshore islands，most of which are located in the Bay of Phang-Nga in the north of the island， while others are in the seas close to the island's east and south shores. In terms of natural resources， Phuket is known for its beautiful scenery as “a pearl on the Andaman Sea”， a 3S destination with sunshine， sea and sand. To the west of the island is the Andaman Sea. The seashore there is dotted with pristine white sandy beaches， each with its own features and charm. From the white sand beaches， you can have a nice view of the silhouettes of the nearby reefs and the jungle-covered hills at sea. Patong Beach is the most developed beach on an offshore island，attracting a large number of tourists every year.

The culture of Phuket Province is also attractive for tourists. Chalong Temple is the largest Buddhist temple on the island，located in Chalong Bay in the central south of the island. Wat Patong is the oldest temple on the island， and both have ethnic Chinese influence. On the island there are also unique museums， cultural shows， traditional performances and beach adventures， all awaiting the exploration of global tourists， especially Chinese tourists.

China Report ASEAN： Tourism is an economic powerhouse for Phuket Province. You have also accumulated a wealth of experience in management. In China， many cities are developing their tourism industry. Would you please share with us your experience in tourism management？

Chokdee Amornwat， Vice Governor of Phuket Province， Thailand

Chokdee Amornwat： The tourism and sightseeing industry of Phuket gradually developed from 1970. The island is now a representative tourist resort of Southeast Asia.

In terms of experience， first， Thailand has attached great importance to the development and protection of tourist environment. Phuket is known to the world for possessing one of the world's Top 10 largest beaches. Its beauty is characterized by picturesque beaches， reefs，clear water and blue sky. We have to protect the beautiful scenery for everyone who enjoys the beauty of the island.

Second， in terms of culture， the island is populated with a number of ethnic groups，including Thai， Chinese， Malay and Li. Each group has its own folk customs and tradition，which serve as essential resources for the cultural tourism of the island.

Third， the local residents are born kind and hospitable. Since ancient times， Phuket residents have treated their guests with great hospitality. That is one of the most important factors that make Thailand an attractive destination.

Fourth， strict management and control of pricing and competition in the industry is crucial. Thailand has always paid attention to the training and management of tourism practitioners， including tour guides. The service consciousness and standard is guaranteed.

Fifth， it's important to create a safe atmosphere for tourists. Safety is of utmost importance. If tourists have to be alert to dangers all the time， the industry will not be sustainable.

The tourist areas of Thailand are orderly，with excellent security. The idea of “suiting the convenience of every guest” is another important factor that contributes to Thailand's booming tourism.

China Report ASEAN： Besides tourism，what other industries has Phuket Province developed？

Chokdee Amornwat： Before the development of tourism， the tin industry used to be the pillar industry of Phuket Province. With a history of 500 years， tin mining formed the foundation for Phuket's trade relations with the world. Thailand used to be the world's third largest tin ore exporter， owing much to its largest producer， Phuket Island. With the decline of the tin industry， Phuket residents gradually turned to tourism， agriculture， rubber and fishery for income. Phuket tourists have come from all over the world， and the boom of tourism has driven the development of related industries， especially transportation，energy， food and hotels.

With the development of tourism， a giant market has been forged for the catering and food industry as well as the related raw materials industries， such as fisheries and crop farming. The development was conducive for releasing the unemployment pressure from surplus labor， an unavoidable result of Thailand's modernization process. Tourism has become the country's third largest employment market aTher agriculture and industry.

China Report ASEAN： The capital city of Phuket Province is Phuket， a modern seaport and commercial center. Would you please brief us on its commerce and advantages？

Chokdee Amornwat： There are many offshore islands around Phuket Island.Therefore， it is very import to build Phuket into a modern seaport for ships and tourist vessels. In Phuket Province， we have six seaports， of which Rawai Beach is very old. From there， you can travel on a long tail boat to the nearby islands， Ko He， Ko Racha Yai，Ko Mai Thon and Ko Lon， among others. Ao Chalong is the largest port on the island. All kinds of ships and vessels are moored there，including yachts from travel companies for group tours to other islands. Ao Makham，close to Cape Phanwa， is a port for yachts and cargo ships. Ao Sapam is a port for yacht clubs， with travel companies' excursion vessels. There are also two deep water ports for large ships， such as passenger liners. One of them is close to the Patong beach， the other one in Panwa.

All the ports are equipped with a radar control center， which monitors the activities of the vessels. Its monitoring equipment can guarantee the safety of the tourists on board the luxury cruisers.

China Report ASEAN：You have come to attend the Cities Forum. In what ways would you like to strengthen Phuket's cooperation and exchanges with other cities？

Chokdee Amornwat： This is my fifth visit to China. What impressed me most is the pace of modernization of Chinese cities， their advanced facilities， urban infrastructure， convenient expressways and high-speed railways.The main purpose of this visit is to attend the Inaugural Cities Forum of the UNMCSR CA in Fuzhou. The forum has provided opportunities for the countries along the Belt and Road to better interact and learn from each other in commerce， investment， tourism and culture.

Phuket Province has already established friendly connections with the Chinese cities of Yantai， Xiamen and the province of Hainan. Many ethnic Chinese in Phuket can find their roots in Fuzhou. Therefore， another main purpose of this trip is to explore more extensive cooperation with Fuzhou.