Phuket
Economy
Phuket has mainly depended on tourism for much of its income for the past 25 years. There are a number of hotels, restaurants,
tour companies, and souvenir shops on the West
Coast of the island. However, tourism is by no means the island's
only activity.
Tin has been mined on the
island from time immemorial; however, the demand for the metal has
declined. Offshore tin dredging has decreased in the past few years,
by zoning regulations designed to help protect
the coral reefs and beaches of the west coast. Old tin-mines on
land, meanwhile, are being converted from unsightly scars in the
landscape to beautiful resort hotel developments, golf courses,
yacht marinas and bungee-jumping facilities.
Agriculture is essential to a great amount of people, and
covers by far the most part of the island. Main crops are rubber,
cashews, coconuts and pineapples.
Rubber, first introduced from Malaya back in 1903, came
to define much of the local landscape. Rubber plantations
are still much in evidence, but with soaring real estate values
and the boom in tourism has meant that land is being turned to other
uses.
Prawn farming has taken over much
of the east and south coasts. Pearl farming is
also an important resource. Phuket's fishing port
is filled at all times, and processing of fish makes an
influential
contribution to the economy.
With so many industries supplying income, construction
has become a principal factor in employment. It ranges
from large public works projects, office buildings and hotels, and
housing estates with hundreds of units, down to single family homes,
condominiums and apartments. |
