Foreigners seeking 60 day tourist visa extensions crowd Phuket Immigration

Phuket’s upcoming reopening in July is aimed at helping local residents avoid falling into poverty. According to Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong, the average monthly income of local residents before the Covid-19 pandemic sat at 43,000 baht per month. Now, Pichet says it has fallen to only 8,303 baht per month, signaling a drastic fall nearing the poverty line.

“If the tourism industry and the island’s economy does not recover, the average income in Phuket is likely to keep decreasing. In July, the average income will be only 1,964 baht.”

Pichet’s statement yesterday about the dire situation in the normally tourist-laden island, falls in line with an economic forecast that was delivered last month by Assistant Professor Chayanon Phucharoen, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism, Prince of Songkla University Phuket campus.

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