Phuket Ready To Welcome Vaccinated Visitors In July 2021
It was reported in April that Phuket in Thailand was hoping to reopen its borders to international travelers by July this year. Now we are one step closer to that, as under certain conditions, Thailand will reopen to visitors from around the world from July 1.
Phuket ready to welcome vaccinated travelers
It should be noted that currently, Phuket is experiencing its highest rate of infections and deaths relating to COVID-19 since the pandemic started. However, Thailand plans to move ahead with its previously announced plans to restart tourism.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) confirms that from July 1, their borders will be open for quarantine-free entry to vaccinated travelers. However, there is a caveat on that, as tourists entering via the island of Phuket must be from “low risk” countries.
At present it is unclear which countries Thailand deems “low risk,” and certainly more details still need to be confirmed before the borders open. However, according to TAT, travelers arriving must be fully vaccinated, or should have received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The visitors should also have tested negative not more than 72 hours prior to arrival.
What is expected of vaccinated travelers?
Most important to note, Thailand’s authorities say that by July the people of Phuket will have reached herd immunity, which is reassuring for visitors. However, on arriving in Phuket, travelers must stay in a hotel approved by Thailand’s Safety & Health Administration for the first seven nights of their stay. Travelers will also be required to register at the government website and to use an app to track their movements around the island.
https://twitter.com/Tatnews_Org/status/1400242013698670593?s=20
While on Phuket Island, visitors are not required to quarantine. They will be free to leave their accommodations and travel around the island with few, if any, restrictions. They will be able to visit the beaches, restaurants and entertainment venues as they would normally. After their seven nights on Phuket are complete, travelers will then be free to leave the island to visit other areas of Thailand.
Phuket prepares for visitors
Phuket is already preparing for visitors and many of the islands pandemic restrictions have already been lifted. By July 1, all the island’s tourist-oriented businesses will have been allowed to open up pretty much normally.
https://twitter.com/Tatnews_Org/status/1400026534732308481?s=20
Up until recently, Thailand had seen very few COVID-19 infections and very few deaths from the virus. However, a recent surge has led to authorities putting the country into a semi-lockdown. Despite this, because the tourism-dependent country is suffering from an almost total lack of visitors over the last year, the government is keen to put an end to Thailand’s economic stagnation.
At present, the Thai registration website has a long way to go in preparing for vaccinated travelers. Right now, some details of the proposed plans to restart travel have yet to be reported. For example, it is still unclear whether travelers will be allowed to transfer to Phuket from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport. It is also unclear whether visitors’ children will need to be vaccinated. In the meantime, readers can keep up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s news feed on Twitter.
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