Phuket reopening should allow all activities to resume to revive island’s businesses

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Patong’s Bangla Street shop owners believe that the reopening must allow all activities to resume, as it is the only way to help every sector of Phuket to revive. (File photo – Night life in Soi Bangla on Patong beach, Phuket).

1st of July is the planned date that Phuket will reopen its island attractions to the Sandbox tourism program aiming to revive its economy and local lives that rely on tourism.

Patong’s Bangla Street, was once full of entertainment complexes, nightclubs, and eateries generating billions of baht for the province each year. However, as Covid-19 hit Thailand the street leading to the famous beach, became silent, and lots of entertainment venues were closed.



Along the 400 meters of Bangla Street, only a few places remain open from a total of over 200 venues. Some shop owners say they keep opening their restaurants without seeing any customers because they don’t want the street to become abandoned, and to avoid their equipment deteriorating from being unused for a long time.

One of the shop owners believes that the reopening must allow all activities to resume, as it is the only way to help every sector of Phuket to revive.

Meanwhile, every sector must also be ready to observe all new safety measures. A business that violates the rules must be prosecuted and see its business license revoked. (NNT)