The “Phuket Sandbox” initiative from July 1 will allow free movement on the island for tourists fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with no self-isolation on arrival. They will be given a green light to travel elsewhere in Thailand after 14 days.

Thai Airways (THAI.BK) is on board, with direct flights from six European cities to Phuket from July, although it anticipates only a fraction of seats being filled, with about 100 passengers in the first week, one the airline’s representatives said.

For an economy reliant on tourism for jobs and consumption, the new arrivals won’t bring immediate relief, although removal of the costly, two-week quarantine requirements that deterred tourists for more than a year offers some hope.

 

 

Thailand lost about $50 billion in tourism revenue last year when foreign arrivals plunged 83% to 6.7 million, from a record 39.9 million in 2019. The slump was attributed to global travel curbs and Thailand’s tough entry requirements. Phuket was particularly hard hit by job losses and business closures.

The government hopes the Phuket Sandbox will draw 129,000 visitors to the country in the third quarter – a far cry from the average 3.3 million monthly arrivals to Thailand in 2019. Typically, a quarter of Thailand’s visitors go to Phuket.

Phuket has been racing to vaccinate 70% of its residents – a requirement for reopening – with 60% having received a first dose so far, a rate far higher than capital Bangkok, epicentre of Thailand’s worst outbreak yet.

According to Reuter