Phuket gets tourism industry up and rolling

Local businesses have teamed up with the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) to introduce surfskating as a trendy new way for visitors to experience the Andaman resort city.

Launching the series on Saturday evening was the event “Tai Nai Lad” or Surfing in the Market, where participants rode through Phuket’s old quarter accompanied by the thumping rhythms of a DJ. Many skaters took advantage of the quiet, traffic-free streets to ride three or four times around the circuit.

“Surfskate is trendy with the new generation,” Phuket’s TAT chief Nanthasiri Ronnasiri explained, adding that the series would continue throughout the year as the city welcomed back tourists.

The first group of foreign visitors this year landed in Phuket on Sunday and are completing 14-quarantine at Sri Panwa Hotel in a pilot scheme to reopen the city’s tourism business.

Phuket will host three more surfskating events this year – at Karon Beach on May 23, at Patong Beach on August 14, and at Surin Beach on November 13.