Aphisit: Phuket economic model needs new budget, count hidden population

Thairath•Politics•251d ago

Reader Briefing

Aphisit Vejjajiva proposes a special economic zone for Phuket, advocating for decentralization and a revised budget calculation method that includes the island's transient population.

•Aphisit Vejjajiva, leader of the Democrat Party, spoke in Phuket on January 30, 2569 (2026), proposing an economic development model for the province.
•The proposal includes establishing Phuket as a 'Special Economic Zone' and reforming budget allocation to account for its hidden population and tourists.
•Key policy suggestions include empowering local decision-making on transportation and infrastructure, and using tax incentives for environmental management, aiming to combat corruption and 'grey' capital.
•Aphisit believes that starting with honesty in governance is crucial for solving persistent issues in Phuket such as corruption, traffic, and waste management.

Overview

•On Jan 30, 2026, at 6:00 PM, Aphisit Vejjajiva spoke in Phuket.
•Aphisit Vejjajiva stated that the government must maintain rules and not be negligent to the point where Thai people lose opportunities, in order to ensure fairness to investors.
•Phuket's economy has continued to grow over 5% while the national average is below 2%, but this growth has brought challenges like corruption and 'grey' foreign capital.
•Aphisit Vejjajiva proposed establishing Phuket as a 'Special Economic Zone Phuket Metropolis'.
•The proposal aims to tackle persistent problems including corruption, traffic congestion, and waste management due to centralized power and population growth.
•The Democrat Party's proposed model includes decentralizing power through a pilot committee for local decision-making on transportation and crisis management.
•By incorporating the hidden population and tourists into budget calculations, Phuket's local administration would have better resources to address infrastructure needs.
•Aphisit Vejjajiva stressed that starting with an honest country ('บ้านเมืองสุจริต') is the key to immediately solving these persistent issues.

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Key Quotes

Aphisit Vejjajiva

"We do not dislike investors, but the government must maintain rules and not be negligent to the point where Thai people lose opportunities."

เราไม่ได้รังเกียจนักลงทุน แต่รัฐบาลต้องรักษากฎเกณฑ์ ไม่ปล่อยปละละเลยจนคนไทยเสียโอกาส

Aphisit Vejjajiva

"If we start with an honest country, these problems will be solved immediately."

หากเราตั้งต้นด้วยบ้านเมืองที่สุจริต ปัญหาเหล่านี้จะถูกแก้ไขได้ทันที

Aphisit Vejjajiva

"The Democrat Party has a management model to develop Phuket into a 'Phuket Metropolis Special Economic Zone'."

พรรคประชาธิปัตย์มีโมเดลการบริหารเพื่อพัฒนาภูเก็ตเป็น "เขตเศรษฐกิจพิเศษภูเก็ตมหานคร"

Key Entities

Person

Aphisit Vejjajiva(อภิสิทธิ์ เวชชาชีวะ)ℹ️

Leader of the Democrat Party who proposed economic development models for Phuket.

Place

Phuket(ภูเก็ต)ℹ️

The province in Thailand where economic development models were proposed by Aphisit Vejjajiva.

Organization

Democrat Party(พรรคประชาธิปัตย์)ℹ️

The political party led by Aphisit Vejjajiva, which proposed special economic zone plans for Phuket.

Policy

Special Economic Zone(เขตเศรษฐกิจพิเศษ)

A proposed policy to develop Phuket as a Special Economic Zone to boost its economy and empower local governance.

Phuket Metropolis Special Economic Zone(เขตเศรษฐกิจพิเศษภูเก็ตมหานคร)

A specific economic development model proposed by the Democrat Party for Phuket, focusing on decentralization and local empowerment.