Located at the Royal Place condominium in Samkong, opposite Tesco Lotus, the new office is the only other Chinese consulate in southern Thailand. The first is located in Songkla province.
Students from the ASEAN Phuket Thai Hua School and teachers from Prince of Songkhla University's Confucius Institute entertained the event's 300 guests with a variety of cultural performances.
Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong and an entourage of officials from Phuket and Phang Nga welcomed Chinese Ambassador to Thailand HE Ning Fukui and Vice Consul General Mrs Wang Huijuan, head of the new Phuket Consular Office.
Also in attendance was Consul General of The People’s Republic of China in Songkhla, HE Zhang Jinxiong.
Ambassador Fukui said the establishment of the Phuket Consular Office demonstrated the Chinese Government's dedication to developing friendly relations between China and southern Thailand.
As well as providing assistance to the approximately one million Chinese tourists visiting Phuket annually – about one fifth of the total number of foreign visitors to the island each year – consular services will include processing of visa applications for study and travel.