At present consular services for Phuket are provided from the Chinese Consulate in Songkhla, almost 500 kilometres away.
Malaysian news agency Bernama on Tuesday (November 12) quoted Harn Himathongkam, deputy government spokesman, as saying that the Thai Cabinet had approved the establishment of the consular office.
Qin Jian, Songkhla-based Chinese Vice-Consul, confirmed to The Phuket News that there is a plan to set up a Phuket office to help Chinese tourists who are injured, lose their passports or have other problems while on the island.
However, he said it was too early to say how many staff there would be or at what level. Nor has any date yet been set for opening the new office, he said, adding, “We hope it will be sometime next year.”
Four million-plus Chinese tourists are expected to visit Thailand in the coming year, with a large proportion visiting Phuket.