PHUKET: More Thais are flying to the southern island resort province for holidays, providing a boost for local tourism, Phuket international airport director Thani Chuangchu said.
"During the four-day holiday, the number of arrivals per day surpassed the 10,000 mark. The highest -- 10,133 -- was on Sept 4, with all 85 flights fully loaded," he said.
"It's heartening to see that Thai people still want to make a visit to Phuket."
Pilot Officer Thani said that during August about 6,000 domestic passengers arrived in Phuket each day.
Domestic airlines currently flying to Phuket are Thai Smile, Nok Air, Thai AirAsia, Thai VietJet Air and Bangkok Airways.
However, the Phuket Hotels Association and C9 Hotelworks revealed that operators in the province have not been satisfied with current visitor levels and proposed that airspace over the island be reopened to international flights to recover income which has tumbled due to the Covid-19 crisis.
They said 69% of hotels have been temporarily closed.
Airports of Thailand also affirmed the fall in visitors as arriving passengers dropped from last year by 65% between January to July while 86,000 rooms at registered hotels saw scarce occupancy.
They projected 50,000 hotel workers will be laid off this year.
Meanwhile, another tourism relief package known as the "Phuket Model" -- which includes special tourist visas with health measures, and "Alternative Local State Quarantine in Phuket" -- cannot be implemented yet as the government does not allow overseas passengers to board direct flights to the province.
Anthony Lark, president of the Phuket Hotels Association, said room occupancy in each hotel was at single-digit levels because only domestic travellers who lack the potential to save the businesses are visiting.
Bill Barnett, managing director of C9 Hotelworks, said prolonged travel bans will destroy everything, not only the tourism sector, but construction companies and retail stores.
On Tuesday, Plt Off Thani said Phuket had on Aug 14 accepted four French nationals as a trial who flew in by private jet.
They passed screening at the airport, entered Alternative Local State Quarantine (ALSQ) in Phuket after obtaining health certificates from their country of origin and certificates of entry from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
They later entered ALSQ at the Anantara Mai Khao Hotel for 14 days before flying to Cambodia on their 15th day.
They paid 250,000 baht each, he said, emphasising the success of the model.
Meanwhile, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the tourism and sports minister, said that after officials from his ministry visited the province over the past weekend and held talks with local residents and businesses, most agreed with the regulation that tourists should have to stay in quarantine for 14 days -- the same as Thai returnees.
After the quarantine period ends, visitors would have to stay in Phuket for at least seven days before making trips elsewhere in the country.
Mr Phiphat acknowledged some misunderstandings about unclear safety measures in recent weeks, which had stirred up negative sentiment about the reopening plan.
He said people in Phuket would like to focus on foreigners who have family or work in the province as the first group of arrivals.
A completed tourism plan will have to be approved by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, the Centre for Economic Situation Administration and a cabinet meeting this month.
"We will try our best to bring international tourists to the country before the end of the year," Mr Phiphat said.