Tourism first! Island of Phuket in mass vaccination drive ahead of the rest of Thailand

[webfact]

People receive the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine as the Thai resort island of Phuket rushes to vaccinate its population amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, and ahead of a July 1 ending of strict quarantine for overseas visitors, to bring back tourism revenue in Phuket, Thailand, April 1, 2021. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

 

By Prapan Chankaew and Orathai Sriring

 

PHUKET, Thailand (Reuters) - In Thailand, it's the all-important tourism sector that has jumped to the head of the COVID-19 vaccination line, with the country's most popular resort island embarking on a mass inoculation programme two months ahead of the rest of the country.

 

The island of Phuket aims to deliver shots to at least 460,000 people - most of its population - as it gears up for July 1, when vaccinated overseas visitors will no longer be required to quarantine.

 

Phuket also has its own international airport and tourists would be able to roam the island freely without posing any coronavirus risk to the rest of Thailand's population.

 

"If we can build immunity for 70-80% of the population on the island, we can receive foreign tourists who have been vaccinated without the need for quarantine," Phuket's Vice Governor Piyapong Choowong told Reuters.

 

While medical workers, members of the cabinet and the elderly were the first to be vaccinated, Thailand's decision to prioritise Phuket over other parts of the country underscores the central role of tourism to the economy.

 

Spending by foreign tourists accounted for 11-12% of GDP pre-pandemic and the sector has been devastated by the virus with 1.45 million jobs lost since last year.

 

Just 6.7 million foreign tourists visited Thailand in 2020, spending some $11 billion. That compares with nearly 40 million in 2019, when they spent $61 billion.

 

The government wants to see at least 100,000 tourists come to Phuket in the third quarter. It also hopes that as vaccinations worldwide progress it will see a spike in demand in the fourth quarter and that nationwide some 6.5 million visitors will have spent 350 billion baht ($11 billion) by the end of the year.

 

"It's a challenge. But that will contribute to GDP to some extent," said Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Yuthasak Supasorn.

 

"We don't expect tourists will come in like a broken dam but we hope to have quality visitors with high spending."

 

Visitors from Europe, the United Arab Emirates and the United States are expected to return first, Yuthasak said.

 

Strict 14-day quarantine requirements for overseas visitors have helped Thailand limit coronavirus infections to around 29,100 cases and 95 deaths but have proven to be too great a hurdle for most tourists.

 

Programmes to attract long-term tourists who test negative for the coronavirus have largely flopped, even with creative measures such as quarantine at golf resorts.

 

Songklod Wongchai, an analyst at Finansia Syrus, believes Thailand could see a quick rebound in tourism, citing the example of the Maldives which has seen hotel occupancy rates bounce back to 70-80% despite cases of the virus.

 

"Pent-up demand may come back faster than expected. I think the Land of Smiles will start smiling again," he said.

 

($1 = 31.27 baht)

 

(Reporting by Prapan Chankaew in Phuket, Orathai Sriring and Satawasin Staporncharnchai in Bangkok; Writing by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-04-05

 

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[YetAnother]

16 minutes ago, webfact said:

In Thailand, it's the all-important tourism sector that has jumped to the head of the COVID-19 vaccination line,

in thailand, money above all else, period

[pixelaoffy]

Yes. That is their god. Not some religion 

[Pattaya Spotter]

Are there any recent peer-reviewed studies on the efficacy of the Chinese vaccines...the last i recall reading they were in the mid-sixties range.

[mikebell]

I'm an expat seeking a short break in Phuket.  I have a credit note from Airasia which I am anxious to redeem.  The flight schedule ATM seems cunningly constructed to make you stay longer than you want (from UTP.)

[Spilornis]

6 weeks to deliver around 1 million jabs

Will be interesting.

I assume the island of Phuket will be closed to the rest of Thailand

Next question is who will come?

There's not that many fully vaccinated Phuket wannatravellers and UK/US to Phuket is a long flight in these strange times

[Somtamnication]

I am NOT taking that Chinese vaccine. Peer review of said drug is non-existent outside of China.

[ChipButty]

I thought they dont need tourism?

[WHansen]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Songklod Wongchai, an analyst at Finansia Syrus, believes Thailand could see a quick rebound in tourism, citing the example of the Maldives which has seen hotel occupancy rates bounce back to 70-80% despite cases of the virus

Could this be down to being welcomed into the country with just a negative C19 test ?

Dream on Thailand, your reluctance to drop all the restrictions for the vaccinated will continue to keep most away.

Edited April 5, 2021 by WHansen
typo

[chilly07]

Some very influential people loosing money in Phuket?

[madmen]

It's not clear what the conditions are regarding 1st July. I'm a starter as a returning expat but with just a few months to go there are more questions than answers. 

 

 

[starky]

3 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

I am NOT taking that Chinese vaccine. Peer review of said drug is non-existent outside of China.

Well unless your a Thai person living in Phuket I'm assuming no one is going to force you to ...so relax you'll be fine

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, YetAnother said:

in thailand, money above all else, period

Maybe the government needs the revenue from Phuket to buy enough vaccines for the rest of the country.

[Joseph98765]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

"We don't expect tourists will come in like a broken dam but we hope to have quality visitors with high spending."

IO: Ey twatpacker! move out of the line, let the Zar of Arabia get in first...

[Xmas]

If they can make it work, good on them. All I see is critics. 

UK , Europe, America have made a right F**up of there attempt to control the pandemic. Keep shutting and relaxing and things get worse and worse at least Thailand has been fairly good keeping things in check. 

I myself would be happy to return to my home in Chiang Rai via a short stay in Puket without Quaratine etc.etc. after getting the Jab.

[nattaya09]

15 hours ago, madmen said:

It's not clear what the conditions are regarding 1st July. I'm a starter as a returning expat but with just a few months to go there are more questions than answers. 

 

 

Agree. The devil's in the details.  Is the vaccine for incoming travelers still have to be 90 days old or less?  That's a killer. A third of the population here in the US, including my wife, have already been vaccinated so none of those would work for July. 

[SoilSpoil]

⁷Can Thais still visit Phuket? How about children?

[ChipButty]

23 minutes ago, SoilSpoil said:

⁷Can Thais still visit Phuket? How about children?

Yes Thai's can still visit Phuket, Phuket is quite busy I have friends here at the moment from BKK no restrictions for Thai's

[bojo]

 

Full on vaccinations in Samui too.......................

[Stargeezr]

All the land visitors that have to cross the bridges to Phuket, should also have to get vaccinated before they can 

enter Phuket, or the risk will not be less at all.  I doubt that the officials will think or worry about that fact. TIT

and they can fumble along as they usually do.  None of you want to get infected with some of those new variants

as you will be sick for sure.

  Geezer

[yogavnture]

what happens if i go to krabi from phuket on july 4. will they punish me

[Pattaya Spotter]

I had a massage in Phuket a couple days ago and the masseuse said she had received her first jab and scheduled for the second next month. A Phuket based YT vlogger I also follow says she also received one (on the first day) so vaccinations do seem to be rolling out.