PHUKETWAN journalists ask questions of the Tourism Authority of Thailand regional director Bangornrat Shinaprayoon in 'The Heat' interview. What is it about? Nature, nurture, or numbers?


Bangornrat Shinaprayoon has been Phuket Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand for just over a year, with a dramatic increase evident in tourism arrivals in that time. Her background is in finance and economics, including a thesis on tourism at the time of the oil crisis. She came to Phuket, her first domestic posting outside Bangkok, after a posting in New York. She is, she says, a numbers person.


TAT promotes tourism to Thailand. TAT Phuket is one of the domestic offices. Our main duty is to promote tourism to Phuket. We provide information about Phuket, do marketing for Phuket as a destination for Thai and overseas tourists. Our other job is product development. We want to help Phuket to develop new products to offer to the tourists. Now we also have the Ministry of Tourism and Sport. Mostly the TAT is about marketing.


Before I came here, Phuket was a destination for upscale tourists. Now Phuket is not only for upscale. Other levels of tourists are coming. The economic recession in Europe and the US has restricted some travellers going so far to Thailand. More Asian tourists are now coming. The share of tourists from Asia is larger this year. That's the change I see. Spending? It's hard to say. Hoteliers say the room rates are lower, indicating that visitors are spending less than three or four years ago.


When we talk about going green, one thing that we have to maintain is our environment. Beaches have to be kept clean and natural. Going green maybe means we offer the tourists more environmentally concerned destinations, involving activities where perhaps they go to help plantings and learn how to not destroy the environment. Collecting trash from the sea would be useful. The problem that we face is that hotels can be approved to be built. The central government needs to set the direction for tourism and environmental protection needs to be part of that, including hotels. We are happy to have a lot of tourists coming to Phuket but some hotels open themselves to visitors without a system for wastewater to ensure it will not enter the beach. Government policy should set the direction and every sector should follow.


From my point of view, I cannot yet see the answers coming quickly. Now the policy is to decentralise and give more power to local leaders. You say Phuket needs just the opposite? Probably. Approval for construction is by local authorities. Budget is bigger for local authorities than before.


People are always comparing Phuket to other destinations and it still compares very well. The activities that they can do in Phuket are many. Diving, snorkelling, are appealing on Phuket, along with good food. There is also the friendliness of Thai people. Some visitors like to stay in the same room as they stay every year. Competition, though, is growing. In Mexico they have Cancun and in some places they have zoning for tourists. When tourists go to those places, it can be hard to beat. Restaurants and bars close very late. I think nightlife is a small part of tourism. Most who come to Phuket are families. Their main activities are to go to the beach. Hainan in China may be closer for some of the tourists we would like to attract.


Phuket needs more activites that can service families and programs especially for children. Children need to be able to have special experiences, visiting mangroves for example, learning about nature. We don't have a budget to develop new attractions. So when I meet businesses or investors, I suggest activities that Phuket needs. Old Phuket Town is developing for tourists to come. We need guides and software that can explain the history and the culture. Walking street activities should be promoted. People come, but now they just come to take photos. A half-day tour with greater involvement from the local community, especially in the old Chinese houses, would work well.


Phuket is the centre of the Andaman area, including Greater Phuket, Phuket Phang Nga and Krabi. Phuket is becoming crowded and it's expanding. Phang Nga is a complementary part of Phuket, more environmental, with some different activities. Sharing the same airport links the two. As Phuket fills, Phang Nga will grow up. Krabi also has natural beauty. Phang Nga is crowded in Khao Lak only at present. The growth will come all along the Andaman coast. To the east, there are also going to be more activities.


(Chuckle) I cannot say too much. We have some ideas that we should have a special government for Phuket. An elected governor with his or her own team could help with tourism and the environment. It could happen, it has already happened in Pattaya. In Thailand, ideas sometimes take a little while to be accepted.

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