Welcoming International Tourists to Phuket
After months of border closures, Thailand has welcomed its first international tourists today to the beautiful island of Phuket, as part of the innovative “Phuket Sandbox” initiative. The Sandbox serves as the sole entry point into Thailand for non-essential travel, offering visitors who stay for more than 14 days the opportunity to explore other regions of Thailand as well.
Details of the Phuket Sandbox Program
The initial flight of international tourists arrived in Phuket today under the Sandbox model. According to the program’s guidelines, fully vaccinated travelers from “low- or medium-risk” countries can enter Phuket without undergoing quarantine. The Thailand Tourism Authority (TAT) stipulates that arrivals must be fully vaccinated and have tested negative for COVID-19 no more than 72 hours prior to their arrival.
Staying in Phuket
Visitors participating in the Phuket Sandbox program must stay in a hotel endorsed by the country’s Safety & Health Administration for the first seven nights. While on the island, visitors are free to leave their accommodations and explore Phuket, visiting its stunning beaches, diverse restaurants, and vibrant entertainment venues with minimal restrictions.
Health and Safety Protocols
Masks are mandatory in outdoor settings, and visitors must take a second COVID-19 test on the sixth or seventh day if their stay is less than one week. Those staying for two weeks or longer are required to take two additional tests: one on day six or seven and another on day thirteen or fourteen. Furthermore, travelers need to register on a governmental website and use a tracking app during their stay. After completing 14 nights on Phuket, they are free to journey to other areas in Thailand.
Phuket’s Economic Recovery
In anticipation of welcoming tourists, many of the restrictions previously imposed during the pandemic have been lifted. Phuket’s tourism-oriented businesses have been given the green light to operate almost normally. Although the country is currently witnessing rising COVID-19 infections, particularly from the Delta variant, plans to further reopen borders this year are underway. During a press briefing in June, Thailand’s prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, emphasized that fully vaccinated travelers deserve entry “without quarantine or other inconvenient restrictions”, as reported by the Associated Press.
Despite the existing risks, Chan-ocha expressed the necessity of reopening, taking into account the dire economic situation of the populace. While further details remain limited, the Associated Press has noted that the borders may open more widely by mid-October.
As Thailand’s economy heavily relies on tourism, the government is eager to revitalize the country following a considerable drop in visitors over the past year. Mass vaccination efforts began in June, targeting the inoculation of 50 million individuals, approximately 70% of the national population, by the year’s end.
This article was first published on April 2, 2021, and last updated by Sasha Brady on July 1, 2021.
