Page 32 - วารสารแสงธรรม เล่ม 9

The Light of Dharma July 2020 – June 2021 31

Question: Previously having been the with the reintroduction of the self-
governor of Phang-nga province, Phuket’s sufficiency economy and the philosophy
sister city and then returning to the south of King Rama IX, to use your life well. This
to assume that position now of Phuket reflected the image of Thai unity in a crisis
for over a year now, I would like to ask and demonstrated once again, that
you about the various measures that Phuket people, united, will overcome any
make Phuket so economically important? obstacle. Unity as in the words of the
Also, what lessons do we take from this song of King Rama VI, “A nation, without
crisis? love is in vain, if the nation is suffering,
Answer: The measure of being a how can its people live happily? “
commercial center, for both tourism being Because of the unity of all regions of
the hub for the most important services, Phuket, in fighting against this invisible
for the upper southern region. pathogen so successfully, we could care
Approximately fourteen million Thai and for the infected until healed, and control
foreign tourists visit Phuket each year. In the spread of the disease effectively. It
the period prior to the closure of the made Phuket a disease control model
Phuket airport, looking at the January to recognized by the Ministry of Public
March 2020 data, it was found that Phuket Health and used by them as a ‘model
had supported 3,842,599 travelers from province’, the standard, for the
all over the world, making Phuket, in a management of the COVID-19 disease.
spatial context, very much different from
other provinces in Thailand. Question: Phuket is a small, multicultural
For future Phuket, we must focus town. After this crisis, what do you think
on the strategic area in which Phuket sits, are the strengths that will be best to
for the main development within the ensure the confidence of tourists?
geography of the island. The ancient term Answer: Confirmation that Phuket has
‘In the water and field, there are fish and a robust public health system that is both
rice’ reflects the abundances of Phuket. strong and of a high standard. That the
During the COVID-19 pandemic, in became Ministry of Public Health attaches
necessary for the tourism business to be importance to strengthening disease
halted. We saw the hotel accommodation prevention and control. That Phuket is a
rates fall to zero. Those people in the proactive province, both in the period of
service sector became unemployed and the COVID-19 epidemic and in the long
lost their incomes. But if we look at the term. Accordingly Phuket is the province
fishermen, fishermen could survive by with the highest tourist statistics, at the
going out to fish, but now, to preserve regional level. It had the highest morbidity
their catch, they needed it to be salted. rate in the country but, there was a team
This created a project for the Sea Gypsy of highly competent management that
villagers, rice farmers, and hill tribes, a were successful in controlling and
memorable and historical picture returned preventing the spread of this disease by