Thailand is taking the first cautious steps to revive tourism: Phuket will open to vaccinated tourists from Thursday. Despite the high number of infections in many regions of the Southeast Asian country, the government and the tourist office (TAT) decided to stick to the “Sandbox” model project.
Although there are very strict rules for holidaymakers, critics still warn of the dangers of opening the country early. “The ‘Phuket Sandbox’ is a highly risky experiment to test whether the government’s plan to reopen the country by October will ever see the light of day,” commented the Bangkok Post newspaper on Wednesday. There is no room for error in the initiative, according to the paper.
Tourists must stay in Phuket for 14 days
The aim was to vaccinate 70 percent of the around 460,000 inhabitants of the island against Sars-CoV-2 by the time it reopened in order to achieve herd immunity. However, by June 27, only 63 percent of the population had received their second dose, it said.
The authorities expect more than 600,000 Phuket vacationers in the next few months, including almost 130,000 foreigners. Visitors from 63 countries are admitted. Among other things, they must have a full vaccination and a negative corona test and follow strict rules during their stay. For example, the whereabouts of the guests should be precisely tracked via the app at all times. They also have to arrive on a direct flight. Tourists can only visit other regions of the country after 14 days on Phuket.
If the model project succeeds, other islands will also open up
At the start, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha wants to travel personally to the largest Thai island. Phuket is located in the south of the country in the Andaman Sea, about 700 kilometers from Bangkok. If the model project succeeds, other popular islands such as Ko Samui, Ko Phangan and Ko Tao could make similar attempts at opening in the coming months.
Known for its beaches, jungles and temples, Thailand received almost 40 million visitors in 2019. Since the government closed the borders in March 2020 because of the virus, the important vacation industry has been on the ground. The Southeast Asian country has long been considered a model state in the fight against the pandemic, but is currently experiencing its worst wave to date. (SDA)