House tourism committee to urge action on Phuket hotel law, zoning and traffic

Thailand’s House Tourism Committee plans to submit proposals to the government on Phuket’s hotel legislation, entertainment-venue zoning, jet-ski regulation and traffic problems around Phuket International Airport.

On 1 August 2026, the committee, led by its chairman Lt Col Sinthop Kaewpijit, visited Phuket International Airport and Phuket Provincial Hall to examine tourism management in the province.

The committee said flight and passenger numbers in 2026 had slowed slightly because of global conditions and route adjustments by some airlines. The airport is continuing with plans for its second development phase, including improvements to the passenger terminal, automated immigration systems, aircraft parking areas, connecting infrastructure and toilets. The project is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet for consideration in 2027.

Kaewpijit said the visit identified problems involving services provided by relevant agencies, the organisation of areas outside the terminal, vehicle parking and some behaviour affecting Phuket’s tourism image. The committee will compile the information and proposals for submission to the government and relevant agencies.

Phuket officials presented three urgent issues. They called for changes to hotel legislation, saying the province has about 4,000 hotels but only around 1,000 have proper licences. The others face restrictions under building and land-use laws, which the officials said resulted in lost tax revenue for the state.

The province also proposed reviewing zoning for entertainment venues and updating regulations governing jet-ski businesses, including registration, designated sea routes and the use of GPS systems for monitoring. It reported progress on traffic problems at the airport and other congested locations, but said efforts remained constrained by regulations and budget limitations.