considering Phuket is an island that is based on tourism and needs the tourist dollar to survive - you would think the locals would be happy about them being there,
you need to consider another perspective... i come from a beautiful tourist area back home, sure tourists are important for the minority involved in the tourism business, but for the vast majority of us locals tourists are a pain in the butt! they clog up the roads with their awful driving, they crowd into small beautiful villages and destroy the peace and quiet and ambience for us locals, they overrun the shops and supermarkets. and i'd bet the tourists back home behave much better then the tourists in thailand. i completely understand how most locals would want rid of tourists.