PHUKET • The first vaccinated international travellers touched down yesterday on the resort island of Phuket under a quarantine-free scheme, as Thailand tries to reboot its battered tourism industry while also enduring its worst coronavirus outbreak.
Tourism makes up almost a fifth of the Thai economy, and the Covid-19 pandemic has led to its worst performance since the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
The kingdom is pinning its hopes for a much-needed revival on the so-called "Phuket sand-box" - a model that will allow vaccinated travellers to visit with-out quarantine.
Almost 400 people were to arrive in Phuket on the first day that flights resumed from Israel, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Singapore, the government said.
The first 25 travellers arrived on an Etihad Airways flight before noon and underwent Covid-19 screening procedures.
Among them was Mr Omar Al Raessi from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who said he had previously been to the island 15 times and would spend eight days relaxing.
"After two years of not travelling, I have chosen the Phuket sandbox to change my mood," the 37-year-old said.
A British tourist said he would stay for a month and was looking forward to a family reunion.
"My children live here, so I am going to see my kids," he said.
French consultant Bruno Souillard, 60, said the scheme would allow him to eventually get to his holiday home elsewhere in Thailand without being quarantined.
"It is annoying to spend vacations locked up in a hotel for 15 days and (here) we are not locked up, so that is great," he said.
The launch of the quarantine-free scheme comes as Thailand grapples with its worst Covid-19 wave and the worrying detection of the Alpha and Delta variants.
Thailand yesterday logged another record high of 57 deaths, taking the toll to 2,080. The country also reported 5,533 new cases - the second-highest number of daily infections since the pandemic began - pushing the country's total caseload to 264,834.
On Wednesday, the eve of its reopening to vaccinated foreign visitors, Phuket reported its first two Covid-19 cases of the Delta variant, which was first detected in India.
Still, Phuket remains relatively unscathed as the Thai authorities have rolled out a mass vaccination campaign in preparation for the quarantine-free arrivals, with 70 per cent of the island's residents receiving at least one dose.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha travelled to Phuket for the launch, and said the pilot scheme would provide the basis for reopening the entire country in October.
"Phuket citizens should be proud as they are fulfilling their duty for the entire nation," he told reporters at the Royal Phuket City Hotel. "We would like the Phuket sandbox to be successful so it can be applied as guidelines for our goals."
Besides being fully vaccinated, tourists must remain in Phuket for a fortnight if they wish to travel to the rest of Thailand, and take three coronavirus tests during the period.
A command centre will track foreign visitors' movements via a mobile app - which tourists are required to download - and also monitor for potential outbreaks.
"I think the restrictions make people travel less," said Mr Kongsak Khoopongsakorn, president of the Thai Hotels Association Southern Chapter, who runs a resort on the island. He noted that the authorities had downgraded their sandbox entry forecast of 129,000 visitors in the third quarter to 100,000.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
