# Tourism-Induced Urbanization in Phuket Island, Thailand (1987-2024): A Spatiotemporal Analysis
## 5 Conclusions  
Phuket's transformation from 1987 to 2024 showcases a tale of development fueled by tourism in a coastal setting. By utilizing Landsat satellite images and sophisticated measurements this examination reveals the evolution, obstacles and adjustments on the island. The urban area of Phuket experienced an expansion from 51.2 square kilometers in 1987 to 345.6 square kilometers in 2024 with an average annual growth rate of 6.65%. While this expansion reflects prosperity, it also presented notable environmental and social hurdles. The research underscores the importance of striking an equilibrium between progress and sustainability, particularly in fragile ecosystems like those found in Phuket. Key events such as the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami left a lasting impact on Phuket's landscape, underscoring the fragility of economies reliant on tourism. These events, evident in the patterns of development, underscore the necessity for resilient urban planning and diversified economic approaches. The study revealed that urban expansion came at the expense of forested areas. The reduction in forest cover and mangrove habitats underscores a call for conservation efforts to safeguard biodiversity and preserve ecological harmony. Measures such as the Urban Expansion Intensity Index (UEII) and Shannon Entropy provided insights into the extent and distribution of urban growth. These tools serve as resources for city planners and decision makers to grasp and regulate growth patterns. Looking into the future, Phuket is encountering sustainability challenges. The rapid growth of cities has put a strain on infrastructure and natural resources, calling for innovative urban management strategies. It will be essential to implement city projects and sustainable development practices to tackle these issues and find a balance between economic progress and environmental conservation. This study provides actionable recommendations for achieving sustainable development in Phuket, including the following:  
1. Strategic resource allocation to support growing populations while conserving natural ecosystems. 2. Adaptive urban planning to address economic shifts and environmental challenges. 3. Promotion of eco-friendly practices and green infrastructure to mitigate negative impacts of urbanization. 4. Continuous monitoring and analysis of urban growth patterns to inform long-term planning. The transformation of Phuket in decades provides a valuable model of coastal urbanization driven by tourism. It highlights the significance of holistic, sustainable approaches to city planning. With areas around the world facing similar dilemmas, insights from the Phuket journey can inform strategies for harmonizing economic advancement with environmental protection and social fairness. This study enriches our comprehension of how cities grow in tourist destinations, laying a groundwork for future research initiatives and policy choices aimed at fostering more resilient and sustainable cityscapes. [PERSON] conducted the experiment, methodology, analyzed the data, and co-wrote the paper. [PERSON] conceived and supervised the experiment, contributed to the analysis of the results, and co-wrote the paper. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. This research was funded by the the Integrated Urban Climate Action for Low-Carbon & Resilient Cities (Urban-Act) project (agreement number: 81300507; Project processing number: 20.9015.7-002.00) financed by GIZ commissioned by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. **Data Availability Statement:** Dataset available on request from the authors. **Acknowledgments:** This paper is supported by Thammasat University Research Unit in Urban Futures and Policy. The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable feedback and suggestions.