The new office will assist Australian businesses aiming to secure a bigger slice of the southern Thai island's booming construction, marine, and food and beverage sectors - and the related products and services sought by these industries - said Sean Riley, Austrade's Bangkok-based senior trade commissioner.

"Phuket is becoming a regional economic centre for Thailand, with more global companies setting up business there to take advantage of opportunities," Riley said in a prepared statement. "Austrade wants to make sure Australian exporters get the best crack at these opportunities."

Phuket's economy grew 4.6 per cent in 2005, mainly driven by tourism - which is rebounding from the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004, a year when tourist visits to the tropical isle exceeded 3.5 million. The island is also home to world-class international schools and hospitals, and has many direct flights to Australia and Bangkok.

Riley said business opportunities stemming from Phuket's tourist industry were "far and wide".

"Major opportunities are out there for Australian businesses, especially in the construction, marine and food and beverage sectors," he said. "It's worth stressing that these sectoral [sic] opportunities also extend to related products and services; for instance, beauty products and services needed for a new beauty clinic.

"In construction, Phuket is enjoying a property boom, with multi-million-dollar homes, resorts, hotel and other projects being built. Many island property developers are also keen to build to international standards, including the use of architecture and designs, related services, and environmental products.

In the marine sector, Australian businesses should be keeping their eyes on opportunities related to the new luxury marinas planned for the island. Phuket is known by boating enthusiasts as the "boat capital of Southeast Asia" and plays host to the annual Phuket International Marine Expo.

"With food and beverage, there are many international-standard restaurants in Phuket, some of which already import Australian products," he said. "You can also find our products in hotels and department stores. Visitors and Thai consumers in this region would be keen to see more Australian products."

Austrade's new Phuket-based business development manager, Alisara Na Takuatung, will work closely with Austrade's Bangkok office to maximise Australian business involvement in projects in the region.

"Phuket and southern Thai businesses are familiar with Australian products and services, and rate them highly," Alisara said. "There is huge potential for Australian companies there."

Alisara, who worked for years as a businesswoman in Phuket, said the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement (Tafta) had boosted Australian exporters' competitiveness.

One New South Wales marina supplier has seen the tariff on its products fall to zero from 40 per cent pre-Tafta, making the firm much more price-competitive to prospective Thai customers.

Tafta has seen the elimination of more than half of Thailand's 5,000 tariffs, accounting for nearly 80 per cent of Australian exports. During the first year of Tafta, Austrade help 177 companies export to Thailand, an increase of 34 per cent over the previous year.Two-way trade between Australia and Thailand grew by more than 30 per cent in 2005 from 2004, while Australian exports to Thailand were up by 34.7 per cent to $4.1 billion from $3.1 billion in the same period.

Austrade is the Australian government's lead export promotion agency, with 137 offices in 62 countries, in addition to more than 60 locations across Australia.