Locals and visitors to Patong have lately been transfixed by the sight of the massive cruise ships in Patong bay. These behemoths dwarf fishing boats, longtails and everything else in the area, and herald a whole new chapter for tourism trends on Phuket.

For now, it's mainly liners form Star Cruises that are looming large and proud on the horizon. Khun Leenawat Rungthai, Operation Manager for Phuket Sea Tour, a shore agent tour company on Phuket informed the Phuket Post a Star Cruise liner arrives on Tuesday each week. They set off from Singapore- the main port for Star Cruises in the region- on Sunday and dock at various ports including Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi, on their way to Phuket.

“In the High Season, says Khun Leenanwat, “we also get cruises from Europe, including Sea Bourn Europe, P&O, Carnival Cruise, Caribbean Cruises, Superstar Virgo, Superstar Gemini, etc.”

A typical cruise liner from Singapore carries a crew of about 700 people and tourists numbering to around 1,700, about 2,600 people in all, and, says Khun Leenawat, adds significantly to Phuket's tourism earnings.

“Star Cruises brings around 2,000 tourists to Phuket every week, and these tourists contribute to the local economy by going shopping, visiting bars, restaurants and entertainment venues and even joining day-trips. The ships are docked here just for a day, but the income from the tourist spending is spread over a large section of businesses. Tourists on these cruises are normally Asians, including Chinese, Singaporeans, Indonesians, Japanese, and Indians which which make up the new target segment for Phuket. The cruise tourism segment is a high-end market, bringing big spenders to the island, another important goal for the tourism authorities in the recent times.”

Says Khun Leelawat: “Phuket needs a marina on the lines of what they have in Singapore. If we can develop our marinas and ports to the high standards in that country, we can look to providing them with some tough competition. Phuket is a very sought-after cruising destination, what we're lacking is the facilities. Adequate docking facilities could also allow tourists to fly to Phuket and then take cruise ships to Singapore and other destinations.”

TAT officials concurr. Khun Suwalai, Director of TAT Southern Region 4, also agrees that there is a need for better marinas and docking facilities for cruise liners, so that tourists do not have to clamber into smaller boats to reach the mainland. “Many of these tourists are seasoned cruisers, who choose to go on board especially to visit Phuket. Among these are retirees and older people. We need to make sure we have the necessary infrastructure to make their visit comfortable,” she says.

Early on a Tuesday morning, Phuket Post reporters await the arrival of a liner, in the company of tour agents and day-trip organisers.

The sight of the liner is indeed impressive. Soon enough, tourists begin arriving on the mainland in small boats, are greeted by tour operators and agents, and soon depart to indulge in their chosen activities- day trips like canoeing and city-tours or just strolling along the beach towards restaurants, bars and shopping malls.

TAT' research on the cruisers suggests that each tourist spends an average of 3,500 Baht during their day-long sojourn on Phuket. The money goes towards anything from service fees, food, taxis , Tuk-Tuks, to shopping and entertainment.

Around 199,690 people in total arrive on the island aboard cruise liners in a year. This figure inlcudes small ships and larger cruises. Mr. Boonwee Rattanalerdnawi, the Assistant of Port Management and Operating Company (Chaophaya Terminal International Co. Ltd.) told the Post that the number of tourists choosing to cruise to Phuket is increasing every year.

Docking facilities are becoming an increasingly urgent need, he says. The hunt is on for a suitable location. K. Boonwee says that while according to Phuket's geography and convenience of location Chalong bay would be suitable site for a marina, the water levels in the bay are not high enough for the cruises. Besides, there have been other objections to development in the Chalong bay.

Back on Patong shores, an employee at the Komma Bar said that while the bar receives no direct patronage from the tourists themselves, the agents and guides who wait for the cruises often drop in for a bite. “If the cruises carry Europeans or other Western tourists, we have some income, but on the whole, I think tourists from the ships are more interested in bigger restaurants and department stores. There is no doubt that they bring a lot of money to Phuket.”

A fruit vendor at Patong beach admits that while it can be quite noisy on the day a cruise liner arrives, which can be disturbing for tourists on the shore, she has done brisk business on some of these days. “Mostly though, they spend their money in department stores and souvenir shops.”