Bangkok vs Phuket

Bangkok leads Phuket by 15 points on the TRAIL Index, 60 to 45. Bangkok grades better on 4 measures, Phuket on 4; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• TRAIL Index: Bangkok 60, Phuket 45
• OECD: Bangkok 57, Phuket 54
• UN Tourism: Bangkok 63, Phuket 46
• UNDRR: Bangkok 61, Phuket 63

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Bangkok 70, Phuket 70
• Economy and jobs: Bangkok 56, Phuket 75
• Climate and hazards: Bangkok 25, Phuket 40
• Water and environment: Bangkok 50, Phuket 0
• Community and housing: Bangkok 75, Phuket 25
• Access and continuity: Bangkok 75, Phuket 71

Where Bangkok is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 33.6 % of nights by residents of the same country (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Research by World Travel & Tourism Council; Travel & Tourism by World Travel & Tourism Council), 2026). Between 25 and 35: grade 2/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 394.2 kg per resident per year (Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Environment Department via The Circulate Initiative Circularity Assessment Protocol, 2023). Between 350 and 450: grade 3/4.
• Short-let density: 0.5 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirDNA via ResearchGate / Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Housing Data, 2024). Between 0.5 and 1: grade 3/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Bangkok Port (Port Authority of Thailand) & State Railway of Thailand, 2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.

Where Phuket is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 17.3 % of international arrivals or nights (region figure) (Thailand Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 2025). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
• Income per head: 37,383 GDP per capita, USD PPP (region figure) (Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) / World Bank, 2019). Between 30,000 and 45,000: grade 2/4.
• Extreme heat days: 2.4 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Bangkok Post, 'Phuket considers tripling hotel tax rate', 2026). Grade 2/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Thailand: #38 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Thailand: #38 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Bangkok in full · Phuket in full

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