Phuket’s unique 7-colour lobster to soon get GI product status

Department director-general Vuttikrai Leewiraphan said officials recently visited the southern island province to survey the farming of the 7-colour lobster and collect information from local entrepreneurs.

He said the department aimed to register the unique crustacean, which has become a famous delicacy among tourists visiting Phuket restaurants, as the country’s new GI product to further promote tourism and the local economy, in line with the government’s soft power policy.

“Phuket is Thailand’s No. 1 tourism province on the Andaman coast with over 10 million visitors per year, generating more than 330 billion baht in revenue for the local communities,” said Vuttikrai.

“Having more GI products will help promote businesses of local farmers, fishermen and manufacturers, as well as attract more visitors to the province,” he said.

A GI product registration will offer intellectual property protection as well as control the quality of the products, he added.

Phuket’s 7-colour lobster has unique characteristics — a large head and body, a thick colourful shell and strong antennae. A full-grown lobster weighs 3.5-4.5 kilograms and can be served either raw or cooked.

There are several lobster farms along the Andaman coast of Phuket and nearby provinces that supply the lobsters to restaurants in tourist hotspots, as well as to the annual Phuket Lobster Festival that has been held for the past seven years.

Phuket already has two GI products registered with the department, namely the Phuket pineapple and Phuket pearl. The third potential GI product, Phuket garcinia, also known as “buffalo orange”, is currently in the registration process.