Thailand on Wednesday recorded a record number of daily deaths since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic with 53 dead. The kingdom is currently trying to contain a third wave of coronavirus, the worst it has seen. And yet, authorities have announced that the paradise island of Phuket will open to international tourists from Thursday. High hopes have been placed in what the government has dubbed the “Phuket sandbox,” a model that allows fully vaccinated travelers to stay there without going through quarantine.
The Southeast Asian country, whose borders have been closed since March 2020, intends to gradually reopen to tourism, a crucial sector which accounts for almost 18% of its gross domestic product. Before the crisis, the country received around 40 million visitors per year. The kingdom is currently imposing restrictions in the capital Bangkok and its outskirts, which have seen the Alpha and Delta variants spread.
250 tourists expected from Thursday
However, the authorities have repeatedly said that the reopening of Phuket, where only a handful of Covid-19 cases are detected each day, would take place as planned on July 1, followed by that of the rest of the country. by October. About 250 passengers are expected to land on the tourist island on Thursday aboard four flights from Singapore, the Gulf and Israel, according to Phuket Covid-19 task force spokesperson Taweesin Visanuyothin.
The long-awaited return of tourists is seen as a relief by local businesses and businesses, as for over a year the famous sandy beaches of Phuket have remained almost empty and more than 80% of hotels have closed their doors.
“We have nothing else to support us than the tourists”
To prepare for the reopening, two-thirds of the population of Phuket has been vaccinated. In Patong, the heart of Phuket’s nightlife, vendors were preparing for the resumption of activities on Wednesday. “Everyone and all tourism related professions have been affected,” said Thewan Phromyang, 49, who rents deckchairs to tourists. “I agree 100% with the sandbox project (….) We have nothing else to support us than the tourists”.
Conditions are still set for those who choose Phuket for their holidays. Only travelers from 66 countries, including France, considered low or medium risk are eligible. They will need to spend 14 days on the island before they can travel elsewhere in Thailand and they will need to undergo three PCR tests during that time. And if Covid-19 cases were to exceed 90 per week, the experiment would be interrupted, authorities have warned.