Abstract:
This study aims to examine the policy actors' motivations under the Phuket Sandbox Program, which is one of Thailand's reopening projects, by also investigating their roles and actions that were utilized to promote the group’s motivations. The qualitative research approach was adopted for collecting data and conducting an in-depth interview with the key informants, categorized into three main groups. The first group consists of government organizations from the central administration, including the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Department of Disease Control, and the Tourist Authority of Thailand, as well as from the province administration, including the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office and the Phuket Provincial Tourism and Sports Office. The second group represents the private organization, which is the Phuket Tourist Association. And the third group represents a civil society organization, which is Phuket Provincial Community-Based Tourism. In conclusion, the findings show that the policy actors share a majority intention in reviving the city’s economy after the widespread of COVID-19 outbreak and reforming Thailand to become a top tourist destination. Only the Department of Disease Control Centers is concerned about management. There could be another outbreak in the country. As predicted, the private sector plays a crucial role in promoting the program in the early stage by integrating its actions based on mutual benefits, with public sector support coming afterward in helping it perform. This requires an integrated collaboration from the government organizations to work compromise on the operational guidelines. In addition, to drive their own motivation (purpose), the private sector had hosted the meeting and invited other involved private agencies to discuss this program. Once the press and the public sector became aware of the problem, the government assigned the central administration to assist in the transformation of the program into a public policy.
