BANGKOK: Foreign travelers who have been fully vaccinated will be allowed entry into Phuket without quarantine from July 1.
Deputy Governor Pichet Panapong was quoted by the Bangkok Post as saying that the infectious diseases committee approved the proposal on Wednesday, March 24.
Phuket’s tourism industry had been flourishing before Covid-19; Patong Beach in January 2021 pictured
Noting that Phuket has recorded zero new Covid-19 cases for 89 days, Panapong said that the holiday island is in “urgent need for foreign tourists… to stimulate the economy and tourism sector”.
Before reopening, Phuket health authorities plan to acquire 930,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to inoculate 70 percent of the local population in order to achieve herd immunity.
According to Thailand’s tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, a similar reopening scheme will also be rolled out in Pattaya, reported Nation Thailand. He added that the ministry plans to procure more vaccines with the aim of reopening more destinations across the country, including Chiang Mai, Krabi, Phang Nga, and Surat Thani, by October 1.
