THE BUZZ behind the up-front table-top talk on last week's Phuket road show to Australia centres on two key issues: Phuket's environment, and the tuk-tuks.
Because Phuket has so much to offer, the Aussies will keep coming in large numbers.
But after spending five days talking to resort managers and travel agents, Phuketwan can say with certainty that the concerns on both sides are mostly about the future, and growing.
Resort managers fear that unless a strategy is put in place to preserve Phuket's natural treasures, loss of visitors to other destinations will be inevitable.
On the consumer side, Aussie travel agents' main criticism is of the lack of a Phuket public transport system and the high fares of tuk-tuks and taxis, which are still perceived as rip-offs, even if the system is now a little more orderly.
Rip-offs and environmental tragedies aside, the road show was categorised as a success, with an excellent turnout of key players in Sydney and Brisbane to meet Phuket resort representatives.
Among some of the key people who came to talk Phuket were the product manager, Flight Centre, the marketing manager, Pinpoint Travel, the managing director, Asia Specialist Holidays, the product manager, Asia Escape Holidays, the regional industry sales manager, Virgin Blue, the marketing manager, Creative Holidays, the managing director, Honeymoon Worldwide Holidays, sales managers for Jetstar and Virgin Blue, and the Australian general manager of Thai Airways International.
There's a deep concern, though, within the resorts about the lack of skilled staff. Tourists continue to be surprised at the difficulty in finding people among resorts' staff who can speak good English.
With new resorts opening constantly, there's a regular loss of trained staff who continue to move up to better-paid jobs. The result is a descending scale of good English-speakers, from the five-stars, where skills are quite high, on downwards.
In rival destinations, English skills among resort staff is a given: people expect it and are surprised when it cannot be found on Phuket.
''Phuket needs good management of its infrastructure,'' said Angkana Tanetvisetkul, managing director and director of marketing at the Peach Group. The group includes the Peach Hill (four star 250 rooms), Cannacia (four star 114 rooms) and the Peach Blossom (four star 118 rooms), all in Kata-Karon.
''Competition is growing more intense too,'' said Khun Angkana. ''We really need to renovate every three years.'' Most of the guests book for two or three weeks, she said, and advance bookings of 45 percent for the high season were promising. But the Peach Group plans to join other road shows to find new markets, probably in China and the Middle East.
Blue Ocean Resort (three-and-a-half star 120 rooms, open three months) in Patong had two representatives on the trip, general manager Sarayuth Mallam, who is also MD of Royal Phuket Marina and a university professor, and Pawan Sethichaiyen, the financial controller.
Khun Sarayuth,a lawyer, said: ''It hardly seems fair for resorts to do all the marketing, to bring tourists to Phuket, then to have tuk-tuk drivers stop them from coming back by ripping them off.
''The tuk-tuk drivers do not know how difficult it is to get tourists to come. They are a self-interested group. Perhaps if they sent someone on a road trip, they might begin to understand that it's time they stopped being so selfish.''
He said there were signs of ''cancer'' in many aspects of Phuket that needed to be treated. ''If something goes seriously wrong in one part, all the island is gone.'' Khun Sarayuth was not the only one using strong language about Phuket and its problems.
With increased competition and greater awareness among customers, the days when resorts and Phuket's administrators could highlight the positives and ignore the negatives appear to be coming to an end.
Phuketwan made the trip to Australia courtesy of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation. It was the first time a Phuket media representative had been invited to go on a road trip.
Others on the trip were Paiboon Upatising, chief executive of the PPAO, Sampote Thianthong and Thewi Thianthong of the Department of Local Administration, Somboon Chirayus, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, Bhuritt Maswongssa, vice president of the PTA, Mongkol Boonporn, PTA committee, Bangornrat Shinaprayoon, director of the Tourism Association of Thailand, Phuket, Buayan Suwanmanee, director of Tourism and Sport, Phuket, Sumonrat Na Tauathung, Kata Palm Resort and Spa, Monthakan Saeteng, Kata Palm Resort and Spa, Chalyuth Sophannarat, i-Phuket, Angkana Tanetvisetkul, Peach Group resorts, Frode V Sund, Banthai Hotel and Resort, Oranooch Boonpong, Banthai Hotel and Resort, Scott Galloway, the Village Coconut Island, Laddawan Somniyam, Dewa Phuket, Somjai Tungkoo, Twinpalms Phuket, Ajaree Saengin, Twinpalms Phuket, Piyawan Chirayus, Patong Merlin Hotel, Kobkaew Narkood, Novotel Phuket Resort, Jean Pierre Dousse, Ayara Hilltops, Nachacha Lekviriyakul, Patong Paragon, Parichat Kongson, Patong Paragon, Anchayaporn Thongsom, the Royal Phuket Yacht Club, Suthima Rosami, Bamboo House, Krittapas Silapanont, Bamboo House, Sarayuth Mallam, committee of PTA, Pawandev Sethichaiyen, Blue Ocean Resort, Oraual Paethong, Tropical Group, Javed Pyarejan Shaikh, Horizon Beach, Kittibut Raksanaves, Acco Travel, Chonladar Punjamavat, Acco Travel.
Human Rights Seeks Action on Patong Tuk-Tuks, Police BribesBecause Phuket has so much to offer, the Aussies will keep coming in large numbers.
But after spending five days talking to resort managers and travel agents, Phuketwan can say with certainty that the concerns on both sides are mostly about the future, and growing.
Resort managers fear that unless a strategy is put in place to preserve Phuket's natural treasures, loss of visitors to other destinations will be inevitable.
On the consumer side, Aussie travel agents' main criticism is of the lack of a Phuket public transport system and the high fares of tuk-tuks and taxis, which are still perceived as rip-offs, even if the system is now a little more orderly.
Rip-offs and environmental tragedies aside, the road show was categorised as a success, with an excellent turnout of key players in Sydney and Brisbane to meet Phuket resort representatives.
Among some of the key people who came to talk Phuket were the product manager, Flight Centre, the marketing manager, Pinpoint Travel, the managing director, Asia Specialist Holidays, the product manager, Asia Escape Holidays, the regional industry sales manager, Virgin Blue, the marketing manager, Creative Holidays, the managing director, Honeymoon Worldwide Holidays, sales managers for Jetstar and Virgin Blue, and the Australian general manager of Thai Airways International.
There's a deep concern, though, within the resorts about the lack of skilled staff. Tourists continue to be surprised at the difficulty in finding people among resorts' staff who can speak good English.
With new resorts opening constantly, there's a regular loss of trained staff who continue to move up to better-paid jobs. The result is a descending scale of good English-speakers, from the five-stars, where skills are quite high, on downwards.
In rival destinations, English skills among resort staff is a given: people expect it and are surprised when it cannot be found on Phuket.
''Phuket needs good management of its infrastructure,'' said Angkana Tanetvisetkul, managing director and director of marketing at the Peach Group. The group includes the Peach Hill (four star 250 rooms), Cannacia (four star 114 rooms) and the Peach Blossom (four star 118 rooms), all in Kata-Karon.
''Competition is growing more intense too,'' said Khun Angkana. ''We really need to renovate every three years.'' Most of the guests book for two or three weeks, she said, and advance bookings of 45 percent for the high season were promising. But the Peach Group plans to join other road shows to find new markets, probably in China and the Middle East.
Blue Ocean Resort (three-and-a-half star 120 rooms, open three months) in Patong had two representatives on the trip, general manager Sarayuth Mallam, who is also MD of Royal Phuket Marina and a university professor, and Pawan Sethichaiyen, the financial controller.
Khun Sarayuth,a lawyer, said: ''It hardly seems fair for resorts to do all the marketing, to bring tourists to Phuket, then to have tuk-tuk drivers stop them from coming back by ripping them off.
''The tuk-tuk drivers do not know how difficult it is to get tourists to come. They are a self-interested group. Perhaps if they sent someone on a road trip, they might begin to understand that it's time they stopped being so selfish.''
He said there were signs of ''cancer'' in many aspects of Phuket that needed to be treated. ''If something goes seriously wrong in one part, all the island is gone.'' Khun Sarayuth was not the only one using strong language about Phuket and its problems.
With increased competition and greater awareness among customers, the days when resorts and Phuket's administrators could highlight the positives and ignore the negatives appear to be coming to an end.
Phuketwan made the trip to Australia courtesy of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation. It was the first time a Phuket media representative had been invited to go on a road trip.
Others on the trip were Paiboon Upatising, chief executive of the PPAO, Sampote Thianthong and Thewi Thianthong of the Department of Local Administration, Somboon Chirayus, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, Bhuritt Maswongssa, vice president of the PTA, Mongkol Boonporn, PTA committee, Bangornrat Shinaprayoon, director of the Tourism Association of Thailand, Phuket, Buayan Suwanmanee, director of Tourism and Sport, Phuket, Sumonrat Na Tauathung, Kata Palm Resort and Spa, Monthakan Saeteng, Kata Palm Resort and Spa, Chalyuth Sophannarat, i-Phuket, Angkana Tanetvisetkul, Peach Group resorts, Frode V Sund, Banthai Hotel and Resort, Oranooch Boonpong, Banthai Hotel and Resort, Scott Galloway, the Village Coconut Island, Laddawan Somniyam, Dewa Phuket, Somjai Tungkoo, Twinpalms Phuket, Ajaree Saengin, Twinpalms Phuket, Piyawan Chirayus, Patong Merlin Hotel, Kobkaew Narkood, Novotel Phuket Resort, Jean Pierre Dousse, Ayara Hilltops, Nachacha Lekviriyakul, Patong Paragon, Parichat Kongson, Patong Paragon, Anchayaporn Thongsom, the Royal Phuket Yacht Club, Suthima Rosami, Bamboo House, Krittapas Silapanont, Bamboo House, Sarayuth Mallam, committee of PTA, Pawandev Sethichaiyen, Blue Ocean Resort, Oraual Paethong, Tropical Group, Javed Pyarejan Shaikh, Horizon Beach, Kittibut Raksanaves, Acco Travel, Chonladar Punjamavat, Acco Travel.
Latest A letter from Thailand's Human Rights Commission to Phuket officials has triggered an investigation of tuktuk drivers' use of public parking, intimidation, fares cheating and police bribery.
Human Rights Seeks Action on Patong Tuk-Tuks, Police Bribes
Phuket Resorts Rumble Over Indian Travel Sales
Latest Phuket has won the annual congress of an influential Indian tourism body. But more than 900 travel agents will now not have an opportunity to meet representatives from Phuket resorts.
Phuket Resorts Rumble Over Indian Travel Sales
Thai to Fly Phuket to Melbourne 'from April'
Photo Album A Phuket road show rolls on with plenty of fans emerging among Aussie agents to boost the reputation and the revenue of the holiday island.
Thai to Fly Phuket to Melbourne 'from April'
Phuket Tourism Team Checks Out Bondi Beach
Tourism on Tour A Phuket road show to Australia proves even more popular that expected, but the island's big negative for fans returning a second time remains the tuk tuks.
Phuket Tourism Team Checks Out Bondi Beach
Phuket Road Show Aims to Boost Aussie Visitors
Promoting Phuket Come with us on a flying Phuket road show to Australia as Phuket's tourism leaders sell the island and its attributes to buyers in Sydney and Brisbane.
Phuket Road Show Aims to Boost Aussie Visitors
My Thai girlfriend who's speaks very good English and has extensive experience managing boutique and 5 star hotel staff's
can't find a job because she's 35 years old. She's very attractive and could pass for 27 easily. But every she's constantly turned down for hotel positions when they look at her I.D. card. This would be illegal in the U.S. where I'm from. Also Burmese workers are taking the jobs Thai's used to get because of their English skill and lower pay scale.
Posted by Let's be honest on September 27, 2010 08:58