PHUKET desperately needs more skilled workers in the tourism industry, Phuket MP Tossaporn Thepabutr said this week. And he issued a dramatic warning about Phuket's tourism growth.
''Within 10 years, the number of tourists visiting Phuket is likely to have increased three times over,'' he said.
A strategy is in place to expand Phuket airport to 12.5 million or even 15 million passengers coming and going, roughly twice the seven million who arrived and departed in 2010.
Three times seven million would take the number to 21 million, yet there is no space for the Phuket airport to be enlarged beyond the planned expansion.
Khun Tossaporn said that people needed to become aware of the problems that Phuket is likely to face in the near future.
''The Education Ministry urgently needs to open more schools that offer studies connected with the tourism industry,'' Khun Tossaporn said.
Farming and the tourism industry were two careers that suited Thais, he said.
He added that because not enough people were being trained for jobs in the tourism industry, Burmese were taking jobs in resorts and hotels.
Most of them were lowly-paid positions as gardeners or cleaners, but those who spoke better English were also finding work as waiters, he said.
The situation of Burmese taking on jobs in tourism would grow unless more Thais were trained, he said. Recent estimates of Burmese working illegally and legally on Phuket range as high as 200,000.
Phuket Overseas Traffic Soars, Stresses Airport''Within 10 years, the number of tourists visiting Phuket is likely to have increased three times over,'' he said.
A strategy is in place to expand Phuket airport to 12.5 million or even 15 million passengers coming and going, roughly twice the seven million who arrived and departed in 2010.
Three times seven million would take the number to 21 million, yet there is no space for the Phuket airport to be enlarged beyond the planned expansion.
Khun Tossaporn said that people needed to become aware of the problems that Phuket is likely to face in the near future.
''The Education Ministry urgently needs to open more schools that offer studies connected with the tourism industry,'' Khun Tossaporn said.
Farming and the tourism industry were two careers that suited Thais, he said.
He added that because not enough people were being trained for jobs in the tourism industry, Burmese were taking jobs in resorts and hotels.
Most of them were lowly-paid positions as gardeners or cleaners, but those who spoke better English were also finding work as waiters, he said.
The situation of Burmese taking on jobs in tourism would grow unless more Thais were trained, he said. Recent estimates of Burmese working illegally and legally on Phuket range as high as 200,000.
Latest February brings new record highs in international air traffic to Phuket - and with it the prospect of more crowds and congestion unless action is taken to improve facilities.
Phuket Overseas Traffic Soars, Stresses Airport
Phuket Crush as Delays Hamper Airport Expansion
Latest Doubts are rising about the capacity of Phuket airport to increase with tourism traffic as people inside and outside Airports of Thailand begin to wonder when an upgrade will start.
Phuket Crush as Delays Hamper Airport Expansion
Airport Flight Jams Taint Phuket Tourism's Future
News Analysis Getting on a flight to Singapore that lasts just 100 minutes can take passengers as long as 90 minutes to negotiate several queues outside and inside Phuket International Airport.
Airport Flight Jams Taint Phuket Tourism's Future
Phuket Traffic Record Brings Airport Expansion Doubts
Latest Phuket's air passenger numbers continue to fly higher but doubts are now mounting about the capacity of the airport to continue to deliver higher numbers and expand simultaneously.
Phuket Traffic Record Brings Airport Expansion Doubts
'Within 10 years, the number of tourists visiting Phuket is likely to have increased three times over,'' he said.
By giving too much optimistic informations as a 3-folds increase in tourist arrival, there will be will be negative aspects for Phuket such as:
- Landowners will put the prices up for the lands; therefore local Thai people will not be able to buy their homes as salaries are ridiculous compared to the price of living in Phuket. A Bachelor Degree worker is offered a 12,000 Baht salary at start.
- More poor Thai people or lawless businessmen living in other provinces will come to Phuket to grab some shares of incoming money in the tourism industry with Mafia-gangs controlling lucrative businesses through intimidation.
- More greedy opportunist foreigners will set up businesses at the expenses of Thai people as we may see it today in the diving industry.
Before increasing tourist arrival, a masterplan should be set up to cope with it such as:
- New routes, expressways and public transport.
- More civil servants and in particular more police officers.
- Setting up a Committee Against Corruption (CAC Phuket) to fight flagrant corruption in Phuket as too many people use bribes to make a lot of money.
- More control by the Revenue Department in order that all taxes are collected properly.
- To create Industrial Zones.
- Phuket, Phang-Nga Krabi should be grouped to be be a regional tourism and economic zone to improve efficiency to implement economic policy.
Posted by Whistle-Blower on March 6, 2011 11:02