Joining the national Tourist Police chief was Phuket Vice Governor Amnuay Pinsuwan and Rewat Areerob, President of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO), along with Phuket Town Deputy Mayors Prasit Sinsaowaphak and Onphailin Trakulpalinphon.
More than 200 vendors had stalls set up along the 380-metre section of Phang Nga Rd, which was closed to traffic through to midnight as tourists and local residents enjoyed local delicacies and perused the handicrafts on display as part of the ‘Creative Space Project’.
The new market, which will be held from 4pm to 10pm each Sunday, will help stimulate the local economy for Phuket Town residents while preserving local identity and tourism in urban areas, said Vice Governor Amnuay.
“Phuket is a world-class tourist city, known as ‘Andaman Pearl’, and has many outstanding features, whether it is a beautiful tourist attraction, beautiful cultural traditions and the Phuket way of life,” he said.
“Therefore, to increase household income and create employment for business operators and local people, this will help alleviate the economic impact and help drive the economy in Phuket province after being affected by the COVID-19 situation,” he added.
“In holding the Chartered Walking Street [market], the important thing is to make tourists confident about safety and confidence in coming to Thailand.
“We must guarantee cleanliness and safety for tourist attraction operators. Phuket Province has a master plan with 10 economic and social pillars to drive its development strategy, including ‘Business Leisure Tourists’, which is one of the economic pillars. is to drive the strategy of being a city of cultural diversity in food.
“In order to create additional economic value, therefore, all sectors must help each other because this is what will make the tourism industry grow sustainably in the long term,” he concluded..
Phadet Wuttichan, President of the ‘Chartered [Bank area] Tourism Community Enterprise’, explained that although the Chartered Bank building was a popular landmark for tourists, local businesses continued to suffer.
“Many people come to take photos as a souvenir, but overall Phang Nga Rd remains quiet and business is sluggish, despite Phang Nga Rd having many other interesting tourist attractions that are worth seeking out and exploring,” he said.
“Phang Nga Rd is an area that nurtures the diversity of local people, traditions, lifestyles, food, and contemporary art, perfectly expressed in the form of architecture, art and culture that has become unique,” he added.
“Phang Nga Rd also has the charm of local beliefs and faith, including Saengtham Shrine in Soi Song Phra, where there is also a coffee shop and a fusion restaurant that combines traditional food with contemporary food.
“With Phang Nga Road, there is a culture that mixes old and new into a contemporary style that is different from anywhere else,” Mr Phadet said.