Tourism in general has become one of the major cultural and economic forces in the world today, and is regarded as an important means to benefi t local communities. Phuket for example has experienced tremendous development since 1980s. Many construction projects are carried out on the islands with only one purpose: to accommodate tourism development. Rapid investments by the government and private sector had signifi cantly turned Phuket into a popular destination and a shopping haven for local and foreign tourists