Thailand's Phuket reopens to vaccinated int'l travelers

The Thai island of Phuket has reopened to some foreign tourists, more than one year after the pandemic forced the country’s borders to close, devastating the economy, Report informs via The Guardian.

About 400 international tourists were expected to arrive in Phuket on Thursday, through a scheme that officials hope could help revive the country’s tourism sector.

The program, known as Phuket Sandbox, aims to minimize the risk of transmission by requiring tourists to stay on the island for 14 days if they wish to travel elsewhere in Thailand.

Phuket residents have been prioritized for vaccination before the reopening, and at least 70% of the population have received one dose of either Sinovac or AstraZeneca – far more than the rest of the country, which is struggling with its most severe outbreak yet.

Only fully vaccinated tourists from countries deemed to be low- and medium-risk will be allowed to travel to Phuket, and they will need to provide a negative Covid test as well as other documentation.

Travelers will be required to comply with various disease measures on arrival, including wearing a mask at all times when outdoors. They will also need to stay at special, certified hotels where 70% of staff have been vaccinated, and download a tracking app on their phone.

Almost 40 million foreigners arrived in Thailand in 2019, but visitor numbers fell to just 6.7 million last year as the pandemic brought global travel to a standstill. It’s estimated that Thailand lost about $50 billion in tourism revenue.