Spa operators and Spa resorts in Phuket are demanding urgent assistance from the government of Thailand after their business suffered damages of more than 1.6 billion baht (US$ 1 = 39 baht) from the Tsunami that hit Thailand last month, leaving more than 2,500 workers in the Phuket Spa resorts jobless.
The president of the Thailand Spa Federation, Paiboon Piranowas, said the losses in the Phuket spa and health resort industry amount to nearly 50 percent of the total of the Thailand spa and health resort income which was projected at 3.6 billion baht (1US$ = 39 baht).
Before the tsunami hit Thailand, spa resorts in Phuket had set a target of 1 billon baht in revenue per year. Today this figure has been reduced to 10 million baht with the number of spa resorts in Phuket falling from 121 to 111 and the workforce in the spa resorts to fall from 3,740 to 1,500 persons due to the many lay-offs
In the province of Phang-nga, spa operators had set a target of 420 million baht revenue. Now, the number of spa resorts in Phang-Na has dropped from 24 to 3 with a revenue expected to only 1 million baht or less and a workforce to drop from 200 to 10 persons.
The Krabi spa and health resort business had estimated their revenue at 180 million baht year. Today this figure has been recalculated to only 4 million baht. But nonetheless the number of Krabi spa resorts has remained unchanged with the workforce only dropping from 200 to 180 persons in Krabi province.
Paiboon Piranowas further said that the spa industry in Southern Thailand had not yet obtained any particular help from the Thai Government since the Tsunami hit the Thai Andaman coastal provinces last December.
The Thailand Spa Federation is now demanding that the Thai government very fast works out a plan to expand spa business in the those southern tourist areas, which where not affected by the Tsunami and to find jobs for those workers that are currently jobless.
With the help of the Thai government, spa resorts should be created in new areas in the southern provinces of Phuket, Krabi and Phang-nga and become new tourist sites where vacationers would have access to local spa services. The government should also set aside a budget to use for promoting low-cost spa packages to Phuket including accommodation.
Paiboon Piranowas added that spa operators in Phuket and the other provinces on the Andaman Sea would organize a "Thailand Spa Federation Kind Assistance to Andaman" charity event on Valentine Day, 14 February 2005 where all proceeds would be donated to the affected workers.
