Locals in Phuket have expressed growing frustrations over the rising number of tourists behaving poorly, especially urinating in public areas across popular tourist destinations; with a number of recent incidents documented and shared online.
In a Khaosod report, the Phuket Times Facebook page recently publish photos of several incidents of poor tourist behaviours including one tourist urinating on Taweewong Road in Patong, and another relieving himself behind a parked vehicle in Mueng Phuket district. The posts have garnered several critical reactions from locals and have labeled them as “low-quality tourists”, the post says.
These incidents have stemmed from a controversial incident at Phuket International Airport where an intoxicated tourist was caught urinating inside the passenger terminal. The controversial case prompted airport authorities to release an official statement asking passengers to “comply with airport regulations and refrain from behaviour that may inconvenience others.”
While many have condemned such actions, others have also pointed out the possibility of only providing a limited number of public restrooms in tourist areas. The same report says that some local residents have called on the local government to address the infrastructure gap by adding more facilities across the island.
These incidents have sparked a broader discussion on how tourists behave and the need to balance tourism growth with maintaining the destination’s dignity and local residents’ quality of life, the report concludes.