Traffy fondue: Phuket launches English app to assist foreigners

An English language-enabled version of the Traffy Fondue application has been launched by the provincial office of Phuket, Thailand. This platform has been developed to assist foreign visitors in airing their grievances about local environmental conditions and public services.

The Phuket Governor, Narong Woonciew, announced yesterday that the application has been well-received by residents seeking an expedited resolution to common issues they encounter daily. The governor explained that the system was procured from the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (Nectec) of the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) on December 19 last year, to serve as a conduit for processing complaints.

Since its inception, the application has seen a total of 3,122 complaints registered, with 60%, or 1,887 of these grievances having been addressed so far. The Traffy Fondue system has been successfully implemented not only in Bangkok but in other provinces as well, such as Nakhon Ratchasima, Ubon Ratchathani, and Chai Nat.

The majority of complaints were related to traffic issues, followed by issues concerning cleanliness, road conditions, power outages, faulty pavements, water shortage, noise disturbances, air pollution, and drugs. An English version of the application has now been launched in Phuket to better serve foreign visitors and aid in data collection, which would be used to strategise improvements in the natural environment and road safety in the province, as per the governor.

In the adjacent province of Phangnga, Deputy Governor Thalerngsak Nuchpraharn announced that the number of foreign tourists has risen by 20% in the current month, compared to the same period during 2019 to 2020, which marked the inception of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Most of the tourists, according to Deputy Governor Thalerngsak, hail from Scandinavian countries like Sweden and are attracted by the medical and health tourism opportunities in Thailand. He highlighted that the island’s spa massages, health foods, and herbal therapies are significant attractions.

Thalerngsak is confident that Phangnga will not face a low season in the future. He added that the province is also engaging in the promotion of other activities to attract more domestic tourists.

Thalerngsak also mentioned that the province is gearing up for the anticipated influx of tourists during the high season in November, and safety technology has been installed along the beaches and piers, reported Bangkok Post.