Visitors to Phuket under the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ scheme will be required to wear a wristband that will track their location, officials confirmed on Tuesday. Thai Visa



Image: Thai Rath

 

Visitors to Phuket under the 'Phuket Sandbox' scheme will be required to wear a wristband that will track their location, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

 

The GPS enabled wristband will be able to inform the authorities of the exact location of each tourist on the island.

 

GPS enabled wrist bands first debuted earlier this year during a pilot project on Phuket. 

 

Ten tourists who arrived in Phuket from Australia under the 'Digital Yacht Quarantine' were required to wear the wristbands during their stay. 

 

The news regarding wristbands was confirmed as officials in Phuket this week began preparing the security protocols that will be put in place for all foreigners arriving on the island from July 1.

 

Thai news site Manager reported on some of the security protocols that will be put in place, which include security checkpoints on the main road leading to the island screening everyone arriving or trying to leave. 

 

The checkpoints will feature facial recognition cameras that will be able to detect any tourist who tries to leave Phuket before the 14 day mandatory quarantine period.

 

The foreigners who arrive on the island will also need to produce a certificate of entry before boarding the plane to Thailand and will need to take a COVID-19 immediately after arrival before being transferred to their hotel.

 

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will be required to go directory to quarantine.

 

Other requirements include proof of health insurance covering treatment for COVID-19 up to $100,000, confirmation of hotel booking, and a negative PCR taken no more than 72 hours before departure.

 

Tourists included in the Phuket Sandbox scheme will then need to take another COVID-19 test after six days, before taking a third test on day 13 prior to them being given permission to leave the island and travel to other areas of Thailand.

 

Officials said they expect approximately 129,000 foreigners to visit Phuket under the Sandbox scheme. 

 

Last week, the Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Tourism and Sports, said that over 50 percent of foreigners who had confirmed they would visit Phuket as part of the 'Phuket Sandbox' scheme have now cancelled their plans.

 

The cancellations were due to the Center for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) increasing the minimum period of stay from 7 days to 14 days. 

 

This resulted in 29,700 foreigners cancelling their plans to visit Phuket, Mr Pipat said.