A Senate committee has proposed that the government develop Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi as a single Asean economic, tourism and transport centre, instead of allowing the three provinces to progress separately. The proposal was announced on May 8 during a fact-finding visit by the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee to Phuket and Phang Nga.
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Senator Chavapon Watthanavekin, vice chairman of the committee, said the group’s visit had the aim to collect information and prepare recommendations for the Senate and government on how the three Andaman provinces can be jointly developed.
Chavapon said Phuket and Phang Nga have strong potential to attract quality investors and tourists if infrastructure and natural resources are managed systematically. He added that the provinces are key gateways to Thailand and Asean on the Andaman coast and that targeted investment could create multiplier effects for both the economy and local communities.
Senator Chib Chitniyom, the committee’s vice chairman, proposed raising tourism standards in the Andaman region to a world-class level. He pointed to helicopter and yacht tourism at Hainan Island in China as examples of attracting high-end visitors.
Chib also cited Vietnam as a successful tourism model. He highlighted Ha Long Bay for its internationally recognised boat tours and Ninh Binh province, known as “Inland Ha Long Bay”, where local boatmen row using their feet to create a distinctive tourist experience.
He added that tourism products in the Andaman provinces must be diverse, adaptable and competitive. Chib referenced Sapa in Vietnam, where cable cars connect mountain areas and provide access to terraced rice fields, Hmong communities and Fansipan, the highest peak in Indochina at 3,143 metres.
“Our Andaman Sea is equally beautiful, but the question is, do we dare to design experiences that will draw tourists to us?” Chib said. He added that Thailand must rethink premium tourism and create experiences that regional competitors cannot match.
The senator proposed combining Krabi, Phang Nga and Phuket into a single tourism cluster with coordinated resource management and unified marketing. He said the goal should be sustainable long-term development that benefits local residents rather than short-term growth focused only on visitor numbers.
Assoc. Prof. Lae Dilokwittayarat, another committee member, questioned whether the region’s education system can produce workers with the skills needed by the tourism industry. He said Thailand currently produces similar graduates nationwide without considering regional labour demands, creating shortages in tourist areas such as the Andaman provinces.
The ThaiNewsRoom reported that the committee said findings from the field trip will be compiled into policy recommendations for submission to the Senate and the government.
Pictures courtesy of TNR
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Adapted by ASEAN Now Thainewsroom 10 May 2026