THE ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION PATH OF PHUKET, THAILAND, UNDER THE SOUTHERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR (SEC) STRATEGY

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the systemic vulnerability of Phuket’s tourism-dependent economy, highlighting weak social resilience and limited industrial linkage. Yet, empirical studies on how to translate the national Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) strategy into actionable local programs remain scarce. This study aimed to identify areas of consensus and divergence in Phuket’s post-pandemic transformation, examine how “policy awareness, governance trust, and economic confidence” influence residents’ migration and transformation intentions, and propose a “governance–industry–society” collaborative pathway to drive structural change. Using a mixed-methods design combining surveys and semi-structured interviews with tourism workers, alternative industry workers, residents, community organizations, and local officials, the study found that residents strongly support economic diversification and reduced tourism dependence but show low awareness of the SEC strategy as well as weak trust and participation in local governance. Three group profiles—“opportunistic,” “disillusioned,” and “observant”—were identified, with economic confidence and policy awareness significantly affecting migration intentions. The paper recommends developing “intermediate node projects” such as logistics hubs, light-processing zones, and training incubators to convert the SEC from a “map vision” into “local action.” The findings enrich the theoretical perspective of “local capacity structures” in tourism-dependent city transitions and provide practical pathways for aligning Phuket’s development with the SEC strategy.