Trat: The Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta) has advanced the drafting of a strategic development plan for the Koh Chang archipelago and its connected areas, outlining 72 projects with a combined budget of more than 4.16 billion baht.
The initiative works to unite government agencies, private-sector stakeholders, local communities, and civil society in transforming the area into a world-class nature tourism destination.
A public consultation meeting was held on Tuesday in Trat. The event was chaired by Trat deputy governor Sakorn Nilrat and attended by representatives from government agencies, businesses, local communities, and partner organisations, who exchanged views and offered recommendations to refine the draft plan.
Dasta director Siripakorn Cheawsamoot said the strategic plan would serve as a key tool for guiding the long-term development of the Koh Chang archipelago and surrounding areas. The plan is based on the concept of regenerative tourism, which focuses on restoring and enhancing natural resources, environmental assets, and local communities while improving tourism quality and ensuring broader income distribution.
He said Dasta has prioritised stakeholder participation from the outset in the interest of making the strategy practical and implementing it effectively.
Wacharee Churaksa, Dasta deputy director for operations, said the agency is looking to elevate tourism attractions and create new experiences tailored to high-quality visitors. The strategy also seeks to strengthen the role of local communities and entrepreneurs in generating added value from tourism, helping distribute income and build long-term economic resilience.
Krit Phumisuwan, manager of Dasta's Koh Chang office, said the agency is committed to developing Koh Chang and its linked destinations into an international-quality tourism hub through improvements in infrastructure, natural resource management, and sustainable tourism capacity.
Prior to the public consultation, Dasta held discussions with central government agencies and other relevant organisations.
The draft vision for the area states: "A model natural archipelago for ecosystem regeneration in the eastern Gulf of Thailand, serving as an international nature tourism destination that attracts high-quality visitors, creates economic value, and sustainably distributes income to local communities."
The strategy also focuses on expanding high-value tourism and future tourism segments, including wellness tourism, art and cultural tourism, festivals and creative events.
