Phuket plan proposes taller buildings in selected zones to limit urban spread
Phuket’s proposed Comprehensive City Plan would allow buildings up to 45 metres in selected orange zones and 60 metres in red zones, while retaining a 23-metre limit in yellow zones.
Phuket’s proposed new Comprehensive City Plan would allow taller buildings in selected areas as planners weigh how to accommodate population growth without spreading development across remaining green land.
The draft proposes building heights of up to 45 metres in selected orange zones and 60 metres in red zones — roughly 15 to 20 storeys — while retaining a 23-metre limit in yellow zones.
The proposals were discussed at a public hearing on 20 August, where 113 issues were raised amid competing demands over development locations, infrastructure capacity and land use.
The planning approach is based partly on concentrating development in selected areas to support greater population density while limiting construction on undeveloped land. The issue is particularly significant in Bang Tao, where rapid development, including condominiums and other large projects, has transformed areas that were previously open and green.
The debate over the revised plan therefore centres on whether Phuket should build higher in selected zones to contain urban expansion, or continue allowing development to spread across the island.
