The controversy erupted on Thai social media after Facebook user Ejijum Phuket, who has 36,000 followers, shared a photo of the wall mural showing the Sino-Portuguese heritage buildings of Singapore, calling it “shameful”.
“A friend landed at Phuket airport and sent me this picture, asking where it was. I was left scratching my head. Is this Lod Chong City (Singapore)?” Ejijum said, as quoted by Thai news outlet Tiger.
Ejijum noted that shophouses of a similar architectural style exist in Phuket Old Town, questioning why airport authorities chose to feature an image from another country instead of promoting local landmarks.
The post quickly went viral, with netizens lambasting the airport management for the misrepresentation and demanding an apology.
“The person responsible should be fired. Will the Airport of Thailand management issue a public apology?” one user commented in Thai.
“What kind of careless work is this? Let’s see how they will fix it. Such a waste of money,” another wrote.
“Why promote a neighboring country when Phuket has so many beautiful buildings? This is so confusing,” another added.
Amid the wave of criticism, an official account representing Airports of Thailand responded, acknowledging the issue and stating they would notify the airport management, Bangkok Post reported.
The airport management later clarified that the mural was intentionally used to suggest that shophouses in Phuket share a similar architectural style with Singapore’s Sino-Portuguese designs.
“We apologize for causing confusion or misunderstanding. We will take steps to address the issue and make corrections,” the airport management said.
Located on Thailand’s premier tourism island, Phuket International Airport is the third-busiest in the country, following Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok.
Recently, travelers to Phuket were recently greeted at its airport by a mural of the island’s attractions, such as the Chaithararam Temple, the Big Buddha Phuket and Phuket Old Town.
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