Thailand sticking with plan to welcome vaccinated tourists in July

[webfact]

FILE PHOTO: A man walks at the empty Karon beach on Phuket Island, Thailand in April 1, 2021. Picture taken April 1, 2021 with a drone. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand will go ahead with a plan next month to reopen to vaccinated foreign visitors starting with its most popular resort island Phuket, as it tries to revive tourism while battling its biggest coronavirus outbreak so far.

 

The plan was approved by the government's economic task force on Friday and comes just days ahead of the start of a mass-vaccination drive, the success of which will determine when Thailand can fully restart an industry that attracted 40 million tourists annually before the pandemic.

 

Phuket is a pilot scheme for the reopening and is aiming to vaccinate 70% of its local population by July 1, far ahead of the national rate.

 

It has eased many restrictions in recent weeks, with few daily local infections recorded, and has so far inoculated about 50% of the population.

 

Under the "Phuket Sandbox" plan, foreigners who have been fully vaccinated and fly direct to Phuket from overseas do not need to undergo quarantine.

 

Thailand lost about $50 billion in tourism revenue last year, an 82% slump, with Phuket, which is visited by about a quarter of foreign tourists in Thailand, badly hit.

 

The government hopes at least 100,000 foreign tourists will come to Phuket in the third quarter.

 

Thailand had just 28,701 arrivals in the first four months of this year and the state planning agency predicts a total of 500,000 this year.

 

That compares to 6.7 million foreign visitors in 2020, and nearly 40 million in 2019, when tourists spent 1.91 trillion baht ($61 billion).

 

(Reporting by Orathai Sriring and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Martin Petty)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-06-05

 

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[Soikhaonoiken]

Do you really think Tourists are going to come to Thailand, when the 3rd wave is still not under control,, if so the government is very deluded... ????

[Willy333]

Is there a plan to remove the ban on alcohol too? Tourists like to get drunk.

[webfact]

Thailand specifies requirements for reopening to foreign tourists on July 1

 

 

The Centre for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) meeting today (Friday) chaired by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, has resolved to specify requirements for fully vaccinated foreign tourists to enter the kingdom without a quarantine requirement from July 1st under the highly-anticipated “Phuket Sandbox” tourism scheme.

 

The proposed requirements – to be approved by the Cabinet – are as followed:

 

• Foreign tourists wishing to travel to Phuket must be fully vaccinated for more than 14 days but no more than one year. They must be from low and medium risk countries, according to the Public Health Ministry’s listings.
• Children aged under 6 can enter with their fully vaccinated parents. Those aged 6-18 are required to undergo a COVID-19 test on arrival.
• The tourist must present a vaccination certificate from their departing countries. The vaccine must be approved by Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (Sinovac, Sinopharm, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna) or approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO) (BioNTech-Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm, Sinovac)
• Install an application for the local authorities to track health conditions
• Stay in hotels certified by Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA+) for 14 nights, after which travel to other parts of Thailand will be allowed
• Update their health on the app and undergo further COVID-19 tests as required by the Public Health Ministry. Tourist activities under DMHTTA (Distancing, Mask wearing, Hand washing, Temperature, Testing, Application) are recommended.

 

The plan aims to attract tourists from Europe and the United States first, with the target of welcoming 129,000 tourists. As for tourists from nearby countries, the reopening will depend on each country’s vaccination and travel policy and the Tourism Authority of Thailand will review the situation monthly.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thailand-specifies-requirements-for-reopening-to-foreign-tourists-on-july-1/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-06-05

 

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[RichardColeman]

Very apt photo for what we are all thinking

[ezflip]

9 minutes ago, webfact said:

Stay in hotels certified by Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA+) for 14 nights

So, it's not quarantine but it's imposed on you. Which makes it feel like it's almost a quarantine...

 

I'd rather wait for the country to be fully open and stay at a lodging of my choosing, giving my money to the locals who really need it and not those who bow to the powers that be.

[ThailandRyan]

Oh joy of joys. Let's strike up the band.

[RoyJames]

Its not too bad.,no quarantine and you can go where you want after 14 days,I can think of worse places to spend 14 days than Patong lol,I wonder what the cost of the hotels will be,this could be the catch,otherwise I would consider going if I could get time off work.

[Flying Saucage]

Many in the Western world are hungry for traveling, for holidays abroad. The beaches of Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey will be full in July and August, as the rest of the world opens without applying hurdles and shenanigans for vaccinated tourists. 

 

But Thailand? Hardly anyone will come.

 

Still too many hurdles and shenanigans, applied by unworldly bureaucrats, who only want to leave their scent marks on Thailands plans of reopening, but who have no idea how to treat and welcome foreign guests.

 

And also, still it is far to risky for vaccinated tourists to come to Thailand.

 

NOT because of Corona, but because of the erratic and patronising behaviour of the Thai officials, who not only can ruin a holidayby a whims, but even more. What happens if one of these tests shows a false positive? Have to spend weeks in a field hospital then?

 

Ridiculous!

[Petey11]

It's quarantine Jim but not as we know it.

[RichardColeman]

29 minutes ago, Flying Saucage said:

The beaches of Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey will be full in July and August, as the rest of the world opens without applying hurdles and shenanigans for vaccinated tourists. 

Really ? You should watch our English news. Countries you mention are all on the plague list 

[ezzra]

Nary a day goes by without mentioning the 1st of July, so far it's all hot air and wishful dreams, let's us wait and see if and when THIS will happen, my money is on that very little will happen, but i wish for Thailand that it will work for them big time but ultimately, the proof is in the pudding whether enough tourists will come or not...

[Flying Saucage]

23 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Really ? You should watch our English news. Countries you mention are all on the plague list 

 

Possibly on the UKs plague list, but as far as I know no restrictions for vaccinated travellers from inside the EU.

Edited June 4, 2021 by Flying Saucage

[Enoon]

 

1 hour ago, Flying Saucage said:

Many in the Western world are hungry for traveling, for holidays abroad. The beaches of Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey will be full in July and August, as the rest of the world opens without applying hurdles and shenanigans for vaccinated tourists. 

 

 

"The beaches of Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey........."

 

But not, for the moment (for many English tourists) the beaches of Portugal.

 

Many English have just had to cancel/cut short holidays because Portugal has been suddenly categorised as "Amber" :

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-amber-and-green-list-rules-for-entering-england.

 

Thailand is "Amber".

 

While I was writing the above someone has posted that the same applies to several of the "popular" destinations you mentioned.

 

UK "shenanigans" are just as potent as Thai ones.

 

 

 

Edited June 4, 2021 by Enoon

[meechai]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Stay in hotels certified by Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA+) for 14 nights, after which travel to other parts of Thailand will be allowed

 

What? So basically same as it is now (14 day quarantine) except they want you to fly directly into the cesspit called Phuket?

Edited June 4, 2021 by meechai

[mike1967]

They would have to pay me!!????????????

[Destiny1990]

Thanks, but no thanks !

[Daithi85]

Great  news, nothing wrong with having to spend 14 days in Phuket. It's a start anyway and hopefully all goes well.  ????????

[johnhender]

I want to go to Bangkok not Phuket which is tired, expensive and Played out If Bangkok doesn't open by October I am going somewhere else. I wish I know how they screwed everything up so bad , but it doesn't matter no one will ever know the truth 

[Thailand]

Now there's a plan-not!

 

Can't see any way it could generate more than a few intrepid "tourists".

[Excel]

15 minutes ago, johnhender said:

I want to go to Bangkok not Phuket which is tired, expensive and Played out If Bangkok doesn't open by October I am going somewhere else. I wish I know how they screwed everything up so bad , but it doesn't matter no one will ever know the truth 

Bhutan has a lot to offer I am told

[Laughing Gravy]

Another dumb idea that will show this was a waste of time, money and effort like the previous initiatives during this world pandemic.

[smedly]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

as it tries to revive tourism while battling its biggest coronavirus outbreak so far.

anyone see anything wrong with this lol

[jopham]

They are saying to have to stay in a covid hotel for 2 weeks and then you are allowed to leave Phuket. What does that mean? Does is mean you travel free throught out Phuket and go and sleep in your hotel or can you only stay in the hotel grounds?

[smedly]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Foreign tourists wishing to travel to Phuket must be fully vaccinated

this is what stands out for me     "fully vaccinated"

 

they do understand it means 2x shots afterall 

 

claims that they have vaccinated their own people after one shot is now confirmed as ########

[Excel]

5 minutes ago, jopham said:

They are saying to have to stay in a covid hotel for 2 weeks and then you are allowed to leave Phuket. What does that mean? Does is mean you travel free throught out Phuket and go and sleep in your hotel or can you only stay in the hotel grounds?

It probably means if you have booked a 2 week holiday then after flying half way around the world to end up effectively quarantined in a place called Phuket, you are then free to fly straight back home again and show all your friends and relatives your holiday snaps of the inside of an expensive hotel room.????

Edited June 4, 2021 by Excel

[Dialemco]

Basically nothing has changed except 14 days in approved hotel rather than 14 days quarantine in approved hotel 

 

Suggest place more effort in expediting vaccination programme for entire country 

[ukrules]

Last time I looked they were arresting foreigners for having a couple of friends over in the afternoon and it made international news.

 

This is not a good look.

 

Will people be able to go to a restaurant and have a glass of wine or a beer with their meal and then go to a bar for the rest of the evening?

 

If things don't return to normal then nobody will come, nobody at all, especially if they're expected to quarantine on return.

 

It will fail.

[ThailandRyan]

The bigger question might be? Who is allowed to travel to Phuket?  Where is the list of countries that are low risk.  How is the US group of 20 classified and what risk group is the US considered under Thailands unknown list of allowed countries.

[ikke1959]

in Phuket you are in at least 14 day quarantine area... but they don't name it like that. and they follow your doings because you need an app to track your health conditions as they say. People who go on holiday want to relax and have fun. But in Phuket you will be overcharged  for everything. It always was and will be. Stupid rules as at 15.00 you want a beer on the beach, but no alcohol sales, very expensive because the of the THB, and almost always when you come back you have to be in quarantine in your own country...Yes very relaxing with al lot of hussle before you visit Phuket and quarantine if you come home ripped and followed as a prisoner