The Chonburi Public Health Office announced seven more cases of Covid-19 this morning, one day after they announced eight cases, the most in almost three months.
Of today's cases, five are Japanese nationals and linked with yesterday's cases and clusters linked to Bangkok as well as entertainment venues.
The other two cases are a Thai person linked to the cluster with the foreign nationals and an unrelated case of a Thai person from Samut Prakan who came to Chonburi for treatment for Covid-19 but is being attributed to Chonburi province.
This also comes one day after the Japanese Embassy confirmed the Japanese ambassador to Thailand has Covid-19, although officials did not directly link the cases in Chonburi and Bangkok to the ambassador.
Chonburi Public Health Officials stated that the main group of foreigners and Thais from the past several days were directly linked to entertainment venues in Bangkok and advised Chonburi residents to avoid such venues in the capital at this time. This comes after dozens of cases have been linked to several entertainment venues in Bangkok over the past several days.
So far, 110 contacts of the patients have been traced, isolated, and tested. Chonburi officials say testing is ongoing and urged residents to stay calm but continue using precautions like mask-wearing and social distancing.
The new cases come only five days before the start of Songkran, the biggest Thai holiday of the year. Although this year fun events such as parties, concerts, and water fights are banner, traditional activities are still allowed as well as people being able to travel over the festival. The renewed cases, however, have driven concern from health officials.
Opinion: Many unanswered questions remain about the "sandbox" proposal and letting in selected vaccinated tourists with no quarantine to Phuket in July
However, the proposal (and it is still a proposal and not set in stonedespite some reports to the contrary, and will be dependent on many factors including getting enough people vaccinated in time and the Covid-19 situation around Thailand) leaves many unanswered questions that authorities have not quite come forward on yet.
I wanted to take some time to list those questions and some general thoughts around them. We don't have all the answers yet and many of these questions have not even been addressed officially by the Thai government at this point. These are questions, however, that bear come consideration and thought as Thailand moves forward to bringing back foreign tourists. Nearly nobody denies the urgency, after one year, of finding a way to move forward with bringing back international tourism. That being said, the path to do so, and the timeframe (especially with many foreign countries having their own quarantines or bringing back lockdowns) is a topic of wide debate.
Let's look at some of the unanswered questions. This is an opinion article, so is more just a general mindset and thought around questions that have come up versus concrete plans or things set in stone. It's likely a lot of this will become more clear over the next several months but these are some things for Thailand to consider:
Q. What effect will this have on domestic tourism?
A. Big question here. There are still many (although substantially less than last year) afraid of Covid-19 and domestic Thai tourists may avoid destinations where a "sandbox" trial is taking place. Pattaya City business owners who primarily serve Thai nationals have already expressed concern with Pattaya becoming a sandbox, although Phuket would be first. Phuket and Koh Samui, of course, primarily rely on international tourism and any hit of domestic tourism would likely be minimal. It would be substantially more, however, in Chiang Mai or Pattaya. This concern is also why Hua Hin and Bangkok are not on the current list for any "sandbox test".
Q. What exactly will people be allowed and not allowed to do for their first 7-10 days when let in on sandbox?
A. This is another big unanswered question. Officials have stated that although selected vaccinated tourists (we use this wordage carefully as it won't be everyone, as some countries will likely be excluded) will be allowed in without quarantine, their first 7 (some reports have said 10) days will be under a "safe and sealed" style visit, with selected places to go and not true freedom. This brings up a bunch of sub-questions also. Will this be a tour guide-style group like seen with many Chinese visitors previously? Will people have guides and be in smaller groups? Will people have the freedom to go to where they wish with a tracking application but only be allowed to go to places on the list? What sort of places will they be allowed to visit? Could people bring "guests" back to their hotel with them? All things to consider. After 7-10 days people would be allowed to travel freely, it appears, based on the information given from multiple government sources, but the first week or so is unclear of what exactly happens.
Q. How intrusive will the tracking application be?
A. The government has made it clear people will be tracked during this program, although the level of tracking will likely de-escalate as the Covid-19 situation improves over time. Many Western tourists are not fans of over intrusive tracking. Will applications be more based around check-in or check-out like the current applications used for Thai nationals or will they be all-inclusive GPS trackers? If someone doesn't have a smartphone, will they be forced to purchase one or wear a smart band (So far, these seem to have mostly been limited to testing and yacht quarantine.)? How long will people have to use these applications? Can they suspend them after the first 7-10 days or will they need them for their entire trip? All things to consider.
Q. What about kids?
A. It's quite clear that although work is being done around research for vaccinating children, it isn't complete yet and currently children aren't getting vaccines. This means that by the time Phuket is planned to open, it leaves a big question. Family visitors, especially from Russia, China, and India, are common…will this mean kids cannot come? Or will they be able to come with several negative Covid-19 tests? Not allowing children would be a substantial roadblock for many tourists. That brings us to our next question.
Q. Will it truly be just vaccinated tourists with no quarantine or will they allow people in with just several negative Covid-19 tests?
A. There has been ample talk about eventually lifting all restrictions and letting in basically anyone sometime in 2022, and in October loosening restrictions around vaccinated people only…but all of this is talk. Vaccine passports are a hot topic around the world, and even if the Thai Government decides to let in non-vaccinated people with negative Covid-19 tests it is possible airlines may not. For now, the initial proposal would be vaccinated tourists, but as many countries cannot yet get a vaccine this would limit those who could come.
Q. What about the length of time for having a vaccine and who could come?
A. Another factor. Currently, there is a three-month cut-off for reduced quarantine of seven days for being fully vaccinated. Of course, ample research is ongoing on how long vaccines last but if this three-month window stays many people in Western countries being vaccinated now would, in theory, need to be vaccinated AGAIN to come to Thailand. Something for authorities to consider.
Q. What about Thais, ex-pats, etc coming and going to the island during a sandbox trial? Will they need to be vaccinated or tracked?
A. So far, the answer to this is one of the biggest question marks people have had. The goal is for the island's population to be 70% vaccinated by the time the trial begins. It is quite clear Thailand is no longer going for a zero-covid or elimination style strategy and has accepted a low number of cases. By July, if Thailand's plans continue on schedule, nationwide vaccination should be rolling out on a more widespread level. By October, this should look substantially better around the country. However, if the island opens and large numbers of tourists come (and it is possible, people have been cooped up for a year and a half at this point and many want to travel.) this will bring thousands of Thai workers back to the island….will they be vaccinated before working or given the opportunity to do so? What about the time period before (and after) doses? What about leaving the island and going back to their home province and possibly carrying the virus with them? Thailand has an excellent track and trace system, we have seen it in action at The Pattaya News, but will all these people be tracked and traced as well? A lot of things to consider here.
Q. In terms of vaccines, what about foreigners?
Another big question. Officials have said time and time again that foreign residents will be vaccinated. However, it's not quite clear when that will be, how much it will cost, or what exactly Thailand considers a "resident." Currently, registration in Phuket has begun for vaccines but foreigners are not yet allowed to register and the registration is only in Thai. Multiple news sources state that this will open up "down the road" for foreigners. But, when? Although some statements from officials have said it will be free, there are mixed statements on this as well. Will foreigners be able to request their choice of vaccine as many have shown concern for some brands? How is a resident decided-will this be someone married, with kids, or a work permit? Or will retirement visas, education visas, religious or volunteer visas also be included? Or will it only be foreigners with "permanent resident" status, not one many foreigners have? Statements have been made saying that foreign workers who work in the tourism industry WILL get the vaccine, but it's still a question of when.
That's just an idea of the questions around the sandbox proposal and it would be interesting to see authorities address some of those and other concerns seen on social media. We hope you enjoyed reading this and thinking about some things that may not have been yet widely discussed around the Sandbox policy. For what it's worth, we really hope they manage to pull this off as the tourism industry and millions of Thais have struggled for over a year now. But it's not going to be as simple as opening the doors and letting people in.
Even as Phuket plans to reopen in July, there are valid reasons to believe it will be a while before foreign tourists return
Empty chairs line a beach on Phuket, normally a tourist magnet. (Photo by Achadthaya Chuenniran)
The long-awaited reopening to foreign tourists is likely to take shape in July, led by Phuket as the pilot area for a tourism sandbox -- the first initiative to remove mandatory quarantine from entry requirements.
The Andaman beaches once bustling with foreigners have been left deserted for over a year, able to draw a limited number of local guests who prefer a short-distance trip rather than roaming too far from home.
Phuket's tourism income of 442 billion baht in 2019 evaporated to 108 billion last year because of the pandemic, with 98.8 billion of that total coming from the first two months before the nationwide lockdown.
From June to December 2020, local guests generated only 1.3 billion baht per month for the province, a stark contrast to the 32.7 billion earned from the mostly foreign market in the pre-pandemic period.
Despite having a more concrete plan than previous efforts to reopen to the international market, tourism authorities admit the sandbox is not a panacea as obstacles remain, the most prominent a mass vaccination campaign in Thailand and visitor origin countries.
An unpredictable outbreak of the virus could spring up at anytime, washing away the sandbox's carefully constructed plans, as happened in several countries last year.
The government's target to generate 348 billion baht in tourism revenue from the foreign market this year remains a stretch for a country struggling to increase GDP growth to 4% in 2021.
Patong beach, which is usually full of tourists, is nearly empty amid the covid-19 pandemic. Achadtaya Chuenniran
LONG AND WINDING ROAD
"I pledge to bring 950,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses to Phuket and inoculate 70% of the local population by June. If we cannot reach this target, the tourism sandbox will not occur," Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the tourism and sports minister, told more than 300 hotel operators at a meeting last week.
That June deadline makes it a race against time as the province has now only booked 100,000 doses.
The government is maintaining its target of 1.2 trillion baht in revenue from both the international and domestic tourism market this year, but that may require some bilateral agreements.
Mr Phiphat said Thailand recently held a discussion with Hong Kong on a travel bubble scheme and seeks similar dialogues with other areas. A travel bubble is a bilateral agreement that allows inoculated tourists from the two locations to travel freely without quarantine.
The deal has to be reciprocal, meaning citizens of both countries can take outbound trips and not be restricted by quarantine upon their return home.
As of March 31, Hong Kong still requires a 21-day quarantine for all arrivals.
An agreement with low-risk countries such as Taiwan is feasible, but analysts have suggested Thailand could face roadblocks in dealing with China, a major trading and investment partner that wants greater influence in the region.
Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said the tourism industry likely will not see a revival until the final quarter, when five more destinations -- Krabi, Phangnga, Koh Samui, Pattaya and Chiang Mai -- are added to the sandbox.
The number of international arrivals to Phuket from July to September could be as moderate as 100,000 because tourists from Asia, a major target of Thai tourism campaigns, may not be ready to take outbound trips.
Some countries are slow in their vaccination progress, while a number of governments are prohibiting their people from cross-border travel to curb spread of the virus.
Mr Yuthasak said European countries may achieve herd immunity by the third quarter, but could disregard the Far East for travel because that period is summer holiday season in Europe.
"When travel restrictions in Europe are lifted, people there may travel within the region first during summer. Thailand is the next choice when winter approaches," he said.
NO SEA SWIMMING = NO HOPE
From April, the Thai government shortened the quarantine period from 14 to 10 days for international arrivals (except those from countries with Covid-19 variants), and seven days for vaccine certificate holders.
It also introduced the "Area Quarantine" scheme that allows tourists to check in at designated hotels and leave the room to use other facilities within the hotel area. But hoteliers raised concerns about some restrictions, particularly the prohibition against swimming in the sea, which have made some markets such as the Russians think twice about coming to Thailand in the second quarter.
Under the current regulations, tourists can only play in open water if those hotels have a private beach. Only a few hotels have that privilege.
Mr Phiphat said the ministry acknowledges this regulation is a weakness, but it is likely to remain until at least June.
Moreover, any mandatory quarantine, even a shorter period or looser restrictions, is still a hindrance to tourists wanting to visit, he said.
A TAT e-survey of 18 markets found most prefer destinations that already lifted mandatory quarantine.
For instance, 84.5% of Chinese and 97.9% of Russians opt for quarantine-free overseas trips, meaning there's minimal hope for the Thai sector in the second quarter, said Mr Yuthasak.
GAME CONTROLLER
Woranate Laprabang, chief executive of Thai Vietjet (TVJ), said those countries that can vaccinate the majority of their population and achieve herd immunity first will be in control of negotiations over cross-border travel.
When communities are safe from Covid-19, they have the privilege to choose with whom they want to partner, said Mr Woranate.
"Singapore has been outstanding in terms of vaccination progress. If the country inoculates 70-80% of the population by August, it can pick which countries it wants to open up to for travel," he said.
Mr Woranate said while Thailand will not achieve herd immunity as fast as neighbouring countries, the partial reopening of the Phuket sandbox may help mitigate the impact.
TVJ, like other airlines in Thailand, is queuing for vaccine administration. When its 740 staff are inoculated, the company will restart international flights that have tourist demand, he said.
Last year TVJ carried 3 million passengers. This year it hopes to increase the number to 6-7 million, with 1-2 million international guests.
BET ON THE FUTURE
Danucha Pichayanan, secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), said the government plan to reopen the country to foreign tourists is expected to help the economy from the third quarter.
On Feb 15, the NESDC predicted Thailand would draw 3.2 million foreign visitors, generating 320 billion baht in revenue this year. The prediction assumes foreign visitors are allowed to visit Thailand by the fourth quarter.
Kattiya Indaravijaya, chief executive at Kasikornbank (KBank), said tourism recovery depends largely on three factors: the government's reopening policy; the policies of tourist origin countries towards international travel; and vaccination progress.
"The vaccine passport is an important tool to help Thai tourism recover, but implementation of such a scheme takes time, depending on the speed of vaccine rollouts globally, vaccine effectiveness and Thailand's procedures in accommodating international visitors," she said.
KBank predicts the country's tourism recovery takes place in three phases. The first is driven by domestic travel during 2021-2022, while the second phase is bolstered by short-haul travel within the region, primarily for business purposes.
The third phase is supported by global travel, with more leisure travel to Thailand while business travel substantially declines as more business transactions are carried out virtually.
"It will take more than three years for Thai tourism to recover. The hospitality sector is expected to generate 2.7 trillion baht in 2024, close to the pre-pandemic level of 3 trillion in 2019," said Ms Kattiya.
She said the pandemic began in December 2019 and has dragged down global tourism to the lowest level in 33 years.
The crisis sent shockwaves throughout tourism supply chains, from accommodation, restaurants and souvenir shops to car rentals at tourism hubs, said Ms Kattiya.
In 2020, Thailand lost more than 2.1 trillion baht in tourism revenue, representing 13% of GDP.
The resurgence of Covid-19 late last year also hindered a potential recovery in tourism. The pandemic cost the tourism sector more than 55 billion baht during the first two months of 2021, she said.
According to Ms Kattiya, the tourism industry contributed 3 trillion baht to the Thai economy in 2019, representing 18% of the country's GDP, of which 2 trillion came from foreign tourists, representing 12% of GDP, and 1 trillion from domestic travel, or 6% of GDP.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration organises an event to promote the Songkran festival late last month. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)
One of the country's most authoritative voices on Covid-19 transmission, renowned virologist Yong Poovorawan, has warned a third or even fourth wave of Covid-19 could emerge as a result of the government policy to encourage people to enjoy themselves and spend more during the upcoming Songkran festival.
"Be prepared to see the daily infection rates jump from tens to hundreds per day after the Songkran festival," Dr Yong said.
"We have become too complacent and that means we need to waste a lot of financial resources for testing, monitoring and curing the disease."
Dr Yong, the chief of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University, on Sunday wrote on his Facebook page in response to the report of infections in pubs in the Thong Lor area last week. Restaurants and bars in Thong Lor in Bangkok's Sukhumvit area were the source of a cluster of infections last year.
Dr Yong said the relaxed measures in entertainment areas are the main factor when quick transmission occurs.
Despite the availability of vaccines, Dr Yong warned that rates of inoculation in Thailand and around the world could not keep up with infections and it would take another two years for vaccination efforts to immunise 70% of the world population.
After fewer cases were reported, Covid-19 infections on Sunday made a comeback in the capital as health authorities said cases linked to the entertainment cluster had risen to 71, according to Department of Disease Control (DDC) director-general Opas Karnkawinpong.
Dr Opas said the cases linked to the entertainment cluster rose to 71 and are scattered in Bangkok (45), Pathum Thani (11), Nonthaburi (8) and Nakhon Pathom (7).
There was even an unsubstantiated rumour Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow was infected as he had visited one of the venues in Thong Lor on March 25 and attended a cabinet meeting a few days later.
Mr Supattanapong's team was reported as denying he had exposed anyone to any risks. However, the minister already took a Covid-19 test at a state hospital in Udon Thani province and plans to get vaccinated soon, according to Dr Opas.
Possible cluster infections were also reported in other regions.
In Khon Kaen province, Srinagarind Hospital announced it would suspend treating new patients and postpone operations for uninfected people after two of its doctors tested positive for Covid-19.
Dr Pongsak Kiatchusakul, director of Srinagarind Hospital, said all hospital staff and patients who had been in close contact with the infected doctors between March 22-April 2 had been told to report for testing and quarantine.
It was confirmed the first doctor contracted the virus last Friday. He went to a restaurant and shopped at a department store, before meeting with colleagues and some patients.
The second doctor had reportedly been in contact with an infected person while attending a concert at a restaurant, Magenta, in Hugz Mall in Khon Kaen on March 26.
Meanwhile, Thai singer, Violette Wautier, who performed at the Magenta restaurant, posted the result of her own Covid-19 test on Instagram showing a negative result on Sunday.
Jaruek Laoprasert, the Khon Kaen deputy governor, said despite the new Covid-19 cases, the Songkran festival would still be held as planned.
Meanwhile, the Corrections Department on Sunday imposed a ban preventing relatives from visiting inmates at prisons nationwide, according to the Corrections Department's director-general Aryut Sinthoppan.
The temporary ban came after 112 officials and inmates at Narathiwat Prison were reported to have been infected with the virus.
Last Chance Tourism isn't a new concept. The fear of missing out, or 'FOMO', social and psychological notion has been around for several years, feeding tourists with a hunger to visit or experience a place at risk of vanishing or altering due to climate change. Now, I am not suggesting that Thailand is about to disappear, however a huge shift is most certainly on its way, so this might well be your Last Chance Tourism window of opportunity.
With a strong push by the Thai government to reopen Phuket by October, and even hopes to open the door by July, along with a relaxation in minimum mandatory quarantine days for vaccinated travellers starting this week, it is inevitable that tourists will come flocking back.
The month of April provides one of the last periods to see the islands around Phuket as they currently are – think Phi Phi's famous 'The Beach', snorkelling around Koh Racha Yai, the striking turquoise waters of the Similan Islands, Hong Krabi's lagoons and new 360-degree viewpoint, rock climbing at Railay Beach, the iconic limestone karsts of Phang Nga Bay, and so on. The list goes on and on with numerous day trip and overnight itineraries easily accessible with 5 Star Marine's fleet of private VIP speedboats.
So, for those of us in or around Phuket right now, we do have a small opportune time frame in which to enjoy these islands in all their natural beauty, before the tourists return. April bestows fantastic water clarify, which makes for an even more memorable day especially if your private VIP group fancies a spot of snorkelling. Towards the end of May, this starts to change. From then onwards we will see the arrival of more and more rainy days, and with rougher seas making their entrance too, the ideal weather we have experienced will be going, going… gone.
In addition to this, National Parks have been known to consider shutting certain areas for a few months before tourists return, to give them a chance to recover. So, we have another time frame to get sorted and go off to explore and appreciate some exquisite scenery right on our doorsteps before it is literally too late. Also, for example if and/or when Maya Bay – made famous after its starring role in Danny Boyle's 2000 film The Beach, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio – reopens the tourists will be back like a shot there; so get a glimpse of it now, unspoilt, utterly beautiful and completely deserted.
Which Thailand islands are on your bucket list? Maybe your list contains some you have never been to, or perhaps you have already been to a dream location but it was so overrun with tourists that the experience was more like a nightmare.
So, go ahead – make the time, and take the opportunity NOW while you still can, as this could be your last possible chance to experience the islands around Phuket in peace and quiet before the borders reopen, the rainy season is upon us and the rougher seas make an appearance.
For added convenience, 5 Star Marine have launched a new, super convenient and tempting day-trip picnic menu. Lunch menu orders will be delivered to the departure pier ready for your trip, making the process completely hassle-free. The menu features firm picnic favourites which are easy to eat on or off board; and cater to vegetarians and meat eaters with a selection of set lunches including sandwiches, wraps and salads.
So why not embrace the theory of Last Chance Tourism and make the effort to see somewhere you're unlikely to ever see again in its present state?
Contact Shaun at 5 Star Marine on 093 720 6221 and quote The Phuket News when booking your adventure to get FREE round-trip private mini bus transfers.
Thailand target ONE-MILLION foreign house buyers EACH YEAR
The government has set a "proactive economic plan" aimed at drawing at least 1 million high-income foreign tourists and foreign investors in the new S-Curve industries as part of efforts to free the country from the middle income trap.
Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow said that in principle a plan to promote investment and tourism for a post-pandemic economic recovery.
Agencies have been given one month to present details of the plan before the next meeting of the CESA, he said.
"When the meeting endorses the details, state agencies will step up efforts to attract a first investor by June, with an aim of promoting investment, tourism and stimulate domestic consumption," he said, adding the government has set the target of achieving 4% economic growth for this year and next year.
In terms of tourism, a proposal will be put forward to amend regulations governing foreign property owners to allow them to buy houses in Thailand more easily.
This is intended to draw high-income retirees from Europe, Scandinavia, Japan and South Korea to live in Thailand, said ML Chayotid Kridakon, adviser to Mr Supattanapong.
Under a short-term plan, the government will attract foreign tourists with high incomes from around the world, particularly retirees, to visit and settle in Thailand.
"There are about 200 million of them around the world and we have set a target of drawing one million to Thailand each year," said ML Chayotid, a former managing director for JP Morgan Thailand.
"These people earn about 300,000-400,000 baht a month. If one million of them are here in Thailand and spend about 100,000 a month each, Thailand will get about 1.2 trillion baht a year from them."
Mr Supattanapong said the plan aims to achieve continuous economic growth by 4-5%, and a study by the Bank of Thailand shows that if such growth continues for six to seven years, Thailand will be able to free itself from the middle income trap.
Plans are to improve regulations on immigration and applications for visas and work permits for foreign experts to work in Thailand, such as improving the requirements for foreign expats to report their whereabouts every 90 days to authorities, he said.
Tax structures will also be tweaked to attract foreign investors to set up their regional offices in Thailand such as reducing corporate income tax for them, as well as improving privileges and benefits for regional hubs, retirees, self-employed people and start-ups, he said.
The Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) has announced plans to install more speed cameras on expressways in a bid to boost safety.
The cameras will help detect speeding violations and vehicles incorrectly using the hard shoulder.
A total of 17 speed cameras will be installed on four expressways, government spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul announced. "Your Speed" signs which display the speed of vehicles will also be installed.
By the end of September, four speed cameras will be installed on the Kanchanaphisek Expressway and four on the Chalongrat Expressway.
This is in addition to the four cameras that were installed on Burapha Withi Expressway and five on Chaloem Mahanakhon earlier this year.
A further 32 cameras will also be installed on the Kanchanaphisek and Chalongrat Expressways to monitor people using the hard shoulder or the far left lane incorrectly. The lane is only meant to be used by emergency responders or as a refuge for broken down vehicles.
Drivers caught speeding or using the hard shoulder incorrectly will have their vehicle photographed with details of the offence sent to traffic police for prosecution.
The aim is for the new cameras to reduce road accidents on the expressways, Ms Traisulee said.
Polls have shown that most foreign tourists won't come to Thailand while there is still quarantine, even it is reduced to seven days for some groups of people. The Phuket plan for July that allows vaccinated tourists to skip quarantine is a good step in the right direction, but the government needs to clarify details now.
For example, children in many countries are not being inoculated, will this then mean families cannot come? How much freedom will tourists have? What's stopping them sneaking off the island to go elsewhere? Most expats in Thailand won't have been inoculated by this time. Will it be risky for expats (and even Thai tourist) to visit the island once this program starts? If expats visit Phuket, will local people and authorities think they have just arrived from abroad and treat them with caution?
Anyway, all of this is a mute point as 70% of the population of Phuket have to be inoculated first and that campaign is going very slowly.
TAT announces a roadmap to reopen Thailand to vaccinated tourists
Three-stage reopening plans lead to no quarantine requirements for foreign tourist arrivals in five pilot destinations from October, with Phuket being the first to lift quarantine from July onwards
Bangkok, 03 April, 2021 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to announce that the Centre for Economic Situation Administration (CESA), chaired by Prime Minister, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, has approved the TAT's three-stage roadmap to reopen six major tourist provinces – Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Surat Thani (Ko Samui), Chon Buri (Pattaya) and Chiang Mai – to vaccinated foreign tourists.
This development follows the Royal Thai Government's latest announcement: Thailand reduces quarantine for international arrivals from 1 April 2021, which includes the reduction of quarantine from 14 days to 7 days for vaccinated international arrivals involving the *11 groups of people currently permitted to enter Thailand.
The TAT's reopening roadmap will take place in stages in the second, third and fourth quarters of this year, specifically for vaccinated foreign tourists arriving in the six specified provinces, which are Thailand's major tourist destinations.
Stage One (Q2), from April to June, vaccinated foreign tourists will be allowed to undergo quarantine in government-approved hotels or other facilities under a '0+7 nights + designated routes' model. After completing the first 7 nights, they will be allowed to visit other destinations in Thailand.
The '0+7 nights + designated routes' model means that during quarantine, vaccinated foreign tourists will be allowed to engage in leisure activities within the premises of their hotels or other accommodation establishments. They will also be allowed to engage in outside travel activities within designated areas in their selected destination of arrival.
State Two (Q3), from July to September, Phuket will be the first destination to lift quarantine requirements for vaccinated foreign tourists under the 'Phuket Sandbox' programme. However, they will be restricted to travel activities within designated areas in Phuket for 7 days and will then be allowed to visit other Thai destinations.
Vaccinated foreign tourist arrivals to five other major tourist destinations – Krabi, Phang Nga, Surat Thani (Ko Samui), Chon Buri (Pattaya) and Chiang Mai – will still be required to undergo quarantine under a '0+7 nights + designated routes' model.
Stage Three (Q4), from October to December, all five other major tourist destinations will join Phuket in lifting quarantine requirements for vaccinated foreign tourists. Same as Phuket, tourists will be restricted to travel activities within designated areas in these destinations for 7 days before they are allowed to visit other Thai destinations.
Upon arrival in all stages, vaccinated foreign tourists will be required to undergo a COVID-19 screening, including RT-PCR tests, and download the specified track and trace application.
In order to be eligible to enter in Thailand, vaccinated foreign tourists still need to have all of their advance arrangements in good order for arrival and entry.
These include a valid visa or re-entry permit, a Certificate of Entry (COE) issued by the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate; a COVID-19 health insurance policy with a minimum coverage of US$100,000; confirmation of Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) hotel booking, and a medical certificate with a RT-PCR laboratory result indicating that COVID-19 is not detected issued no more than 72 hours before departure. Interested vaccinated foreign tourists are recommended to enquire at the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in their home country for more details.
In addition, in line with the Royal Thai Government's announcement, vaccinated international arrivals must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a vaccine, approved, and registered with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) or approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO), no less than 14 days before the travelling date. They must also be from countries with no mutated strain of SAR-CoV-2 virus as announced and constantly updated by the MoPH.
The following vaccines are accepted (as of 31 March, 2021): ARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (CoronaVac) by Sinovac (2 doses needed); AZD1222 by AstraZeneca/Oxford (2 doses needed); AZD1222 by SK BIOSCIENCE – AstraZeneca/Oxford (2 doses needed); BNT162b2/CORMIRNATY – Tozinameran (INN) by Pfizer/BioNTech (2 doses needed); Covishield (ChAdOx1_nCoV19) by the Serum Institute of India (2 doses needed); Ad26.COV2.S by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (1 dose needed), and mRNA-1273 by Moderna (2 doses needed).
TAT is constantly providing updates on the tourism-related COVID-19 situation in Thailand at the TAT Newsroom (www.tatnews.org); Facebook (tatnews.org); and Twitter (Tatnews_Org).
For additional information and assistance relating to Thailand's tourism, contact the TAT Contact Centre 1672 or Tourist Police 1155.
*The 11 groups of people currently permitted to enter Thailand.
(1) Thai nationals.
(2) Persons with exemption or persons being considered, permitted or invited by the Prime Minister, or the head of responsible persons accountable for resolving state of emergency issues to enter the Kingdom, pertaining to necessity. Such consideration, permission, or invitation may be subject to specific conditions and time limits.
(3) Persons on diplomatic or consular missions or under International organisations, or representatives of foreign governments performing their duties in the Kingdom, or persons of other international agencies as permitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pertaining to necessity, including their spouse, parents, or children.
(4) Carriers of necessary goods, subject to immediate return after completion.
(5) Crew members who are required to travel into the Kingdom on a mission, and have a specific date and time for return.
(6) Non-Thai nationals who are spouses, parents, or children of Thai nationals.
(7) Non-Thai nationals who hold a Certificate of Residence, including their spouses and children.
(8) Non-Thai nationals who have a work permit or have been granted permission to work in the Kingdom in accordance with the Thai laws, including their spouses and children, or foreign workers who have been granted exemption from the government to temporarily stay in the Kingdom and permitted to work through their employers or licensees who are permitted to bring in foreign workers to work in the Kingdom.
(9) Non-Thai nationals who are students of educational institutions approved by Thai authorities, including their parents or guardians, excluding students of non-formal educational institutions in accordance with the law on private schools, and of other similar private educational institutions.
(10) Non-Thai nationals who are in need of medical treatment in Thailand, and their accompanying persons. However, this shall not include medical treatment for COVID–19.
(11) Non-Thai nationals who have been granted permission to enter into the Kingdom under special arrangements between Thai government agencies and other countries, or persons or groups of persons who have been granted permission by the Prime Minister upon the submission for consider after the examination and review by the Ad Hoc Committee for the Consideration of the Relaxation of the Enforcement of Measures to Present and Suppress the Spread of the Communicable Disease Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), and shall comply with disease prevention measures determined by the Ad Hoc Committee.
