The announcement came at a special press conference held at the offices of Phuket City Development Co Ltd yesterday (July 15).
Present for the occasion were Phuket Vice Governor Piyapong Choowong, Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) Chief Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket Office Director Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, Phuket Tourist Association President Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, and Pracha Asawathira, the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Depa) Chief for Southern Thailand.
“Since the opening of Phuket Sandbox on July 1, a total of 5,473 tourists have come to the island, and we expect to reach up to 18,900 within this month. Before this the TAT expected to have only about 13,000 arrivals [in the first month],” said TAT Phuket Chief Ms Nanthasiri.
“So the performance and number of tourists are following our predictions,” she added.
Ms Nanthasiri noted that the first month of the Phuket Sandbox will generate about B190 million for the Phuket economy.
“We estimate that the average expenditure to be about B40,000 per day per person,” she said.
“Additionally, we have received bookings for SHA+ hotels for 190,000 room nights for the three months July to September,” she noted.
Mr Pracha, as the DEPA chief for Southern Thailand, explained that his office was developing an English-language version of the MorChana app that will function throughout the three provinces of Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi.
The special English-language version of the app is hoped to launch in time to welcome vaccinated foreign tourists on Aug 1, Mr Pracha said.