During the meeting, at Phuket Provincial Hall, Ambassador Baimukan expressed condolences on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, and congratulated Mr Nirat on assuming his role as governor of Phuket.
Governor Nirat highlighted Phuket’s position as a world-class tourist destination, noting its global reputation and continued appeal to international travellers. He stressed that provincial authorities remain focused on ensuring visitor safety in order to create a positive impression and encourage repeat visits, said an official report of the meeting.
“Safety and compliance with the law are essential to ensuring that tourists can travel confidently and securely in Phuket,” the governor said, adding that all visitors are welcome provided they respect Thai laws and regulations.
Ambassador Baimukan said he fully agreed with Phuket’s status as a premium global tourism destination, noting that the province welcomes more than 14 million visitors annually, including a significant number from Kazakhstan.
He pointed to the recent visa-free agreement between Thailand and Kazakhstan as a major factor supporting tourism growth between the two countries. Currently, more than 21 direct flights per week operate between Kazakhstan and Phuket, with discussions underway to further increase flight frequencies in the future.
The ambassador also referred to the strong bilateral relationship between Thailand and Kazakhstan, citing ongoing exchanges with senior Thai officials and representatives from both the public and private sectors to expand cooperation across multiple areas.
He thanked Phuket authorities for their continued support in maintaining tourist confidence and said the Kazakhstan government would help communicate to its citizens living in or visiting Thailand the importance of respecting Thai laws, customs and cultural norms.
On the economic front, Ambassador Baimukan expressed readiness to support Phuket in tourism-related development, noting the popularity of Thai hotel services among Kazakhstani travellers. Opportunities for future cooperation in areas such as digitalisation were also discussed, should Thailand or Phuket wish to pursue them.
The meeting concluded with the Kazakhstani delegation extending an invitation to Phuket officials to visit the Republic of Kazakhstan on a future occasion to further strengthen ties between the two destinations.