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The Light of Dharma July 2020 – June 2021 27

SPECIAL INTERVIEW

Phakaphong Tavipatana : Phuket Governor

Harin Sukavat

Question: What is the problem, what
has caused so many people to become
infected COVID-19 in Phuket?
Answer: We had many Chinese
tourists visit during January (2020), the
Chinese New Year Festival. A recent
survey reveals that of all the Chinese
tourists traveling to Thailand, Phuket is
the most favored destination, followed by
Bangkok. Therefore, Chinese tourists who
had been infected with COVID-19 arrived
here. Those first arriving came from
Wuhan city, the origin of the outbreak. Phakphong Thaviphat, (former) Phuket Governor
Then the behavior of many western
tourists who, coming from a culture groups of foreign workers, Burmese,
believing that only an infected person Cambodian and Laotian, total seventy
needed wear a mask, refused thousand with fifty thousand of those
to wear one. The World Health from Burma alone. With another ten
Organization recently announced that one thousand Burmese people estimated to
measure to prevent both catching and be here but unregistered.
spreading COVID-19, was to wear a mask.
Unfortunately, we were unable to enforce Question: Quoting you from the
the wearing of facemasks when those interview when you first took office on
tourists where here in Phuket during the October 1st 2018, you said: “Phuket is a
outbreak. city with many dimensions of complexity
and it is a major player in the tourism
Question: What is the current number industry. It contributes more than 400
of Thai and foreigners in Phuket? billion baht into the economy annually
Answer: Our official population is and has the goal of becoming a world
more than four hundred thousand class holiday destination”. It is
people, unofficially (not listed in the encouraging to the Phuket people to hear
province register) it could be more than when a health crisis arises, such as the
double that ammount. The three main COVID-19 pandemic that spread across