Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana said the influx of tourists over the holiday period would boost the island’s economy but also pose problems.
Last year, 14 million tourists visited Phuket, spending a total of about B400 billion.
“Safety measures will be stepped up during the New Year countdown event. This year we are expecting a massive amount of tourists,” Phuket governor Phakaphong Tavipatana told Surasak Pancharoenworakul, MP and chairman of the House Committee on Tourism, during his visit to the southern province early this week.
Those safety measures include deployment of drones and security cameras to monitor tourist sites such as beaches and walking streets, said Prapan Kanpraseang, chief of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation in Phuket. He said the province will next year request an additional B100mn budget to purchase a B30mn fire-fighting boat, a B12mn ambulance boat and B60m to build a marine rescue centre.
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