Thailand closed its borders in March 2020. Holidays on Phuket are now possible again. A model experiment with strict rules.
Phuket – The Thai island of Phuket launched its eagerly anticipated model project to revitalize tourism on Thursday. Fully vaccinated holidaymakers can now relax again quarantine-free on the popular island in the south of the country – but under strict conditions.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha traveled in person to kick off the so-called “sandbox” initiative. “I realize that it is risky to open Phuket,” said the head of government. “But it is a risk that we must take in the interests of our country.”
“I realise that reopening Phuket is risky, but it is a risk we have to take for the sake of our country,” Prayut said. #Phuket #ThailandNews #TheNationThailandhttps://t.co/VFFX6hhzu3
— TheNationThailand (@Thenationth) July 1, 2021
On Thursday, 249 tourists with flights from Israel, Abu Dhabi and Qatar should land on Phuket, as the newspaper “Bangkok Post” reported. More than 8,000 tourists are expected by the end of July. The pilot phase will be pursued with hope and fear at the same time, so the paper with a view to the high numbers of infections in many other regions of the Southeast Asian country.
Visitors from 63 countries, including Germany, are admitted. They must also have been in their home countries in the 21 days prior to their departure. In addition, guests must have a full vaccination and a negative corona test and follow strict rules. This includes further corona tests and the use of an official tracking app, with which the whereabouts of the guests are precisely tracked at all times. Only after 14 days on Phuket can travelers visit other regions of the country.
“The ‘Phuket Sandbox’ is a high-risk experiment to test whether the government’s plan to reopen the country by October will ever see the light of day,” said a comment in the Bangkok Post beforehand “. There is no room for error in the initiative. If the test succeeds, other popular islands such as Ko Samui could soon make similar attempts at opening.
The holiday destination, which is also popular with many Germans, received almost 40 million visitors in 2019. Since the government closed the borders in March 2020, the important industry has been on the ground. Thailand has long been considered a model country in the fight against the pandemic, but is currently experiencing its worst wave to date. dpa
