[POINT OF VIEW] The Andaman Pearl finds its greatness

It is clear that since the power has been taken by the coup d’état on 22 May 2014, the military decided to act progressively by proposing an economic project with clear and ambitious targets for the Kingdom.

This revival of the jammed system for the long months is now running through the implementation of concrete measures such as the appointment of an investment office, the development of tax reformation, the approval of finance bill, and infrastructure modernization. These measures are well accepted by much of the population and reassure the international community for having direct effects baht appreciation. In this case, it is evident that the market has increased of over 10% and consumer confidence index has reached to its highest level within six months.

Corrective actions for local necessities have also been implemented.

This was the case in Phuket or only 72 hours after the coup. The men of General Prayut Chan-O-Cha arrived on the island, determined to make its brightness that he has the pearl of Andaman.

Global showcase of Thai tourism and one of the most prosperous provinces of the Kingdom alone, Phuket generates 20% of national tourist revenue. It was once a victim of its success, suffering mainly from chaotic management of its economic and environmental development, and questioned the lack of transparency of local authorities about their actions.

Endemic corruption system, being anchored for years, allowed the influential people, regulation and control of sectors of activity to damage the law and the environment. For months, the subsequent investigations have finally enabled the military to intervene.

Some weeks were enough to put out the natural beauty of the beaches before becoming overexploited. The organization of the public transport system has also been overhauled with the introduction of a standardized metric pricing to eradicate the problems of transportation, including illegal tuk-tuks and taxis that usually rip off the tourists and local residents. The strict application of the urbanization rule is also at the center of attention in Bangkok with the effective support services to study and issue the necessary permission for construction. The administration also had to rethink about its collection system and tax usage.

After the monsoon rains the good weather on the horizon arises. Phuket has turned to be more responsible for development and can be served as an example to other resorts in the Kingdom.