Thailand has welcomed its first quarantine-free tourists back to the island of Phuket because the country tries to reboot its tourism industry. About 250 people, mainly from the center East, were expected to arrive on four flights on Thursday as a part of the “Phuket Sandbox” scheme. None of the arrivals have to quarantine, but they can’t travel the mainland within 14 days. It is hoped the scheme will usher in $278m (£201m) within the next three months. But that’s still far wanting Thailand’s pre-pandemic revenue from tourism, which accounts for a fifth of the country’s economy. inline with news organization Reuters, Thailand lost around $50bn when visitor numbers plunged following the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020. If successful, the country will roll out the scheme to other islands, with borders scheduled to open more fully in October. “We know that there’s a risk,” Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha told reporters after arriving on the island himself. “But we’ve got to just accept the chance so Thai people can make a living.” But this tries and revive tourism comes as Thailand battles to urge its latest Covid outbreak in check. On Thursday, it reported a record 57 deaths and 5,533 cases. Two Delta variant cases have also been found in Phuket thus far. But the island has been prioritized for vaccination, and a few 70% of its residents were thanks to being inoculated before the primary tourists arrived on planes from Israel, the national capital, and Qatar. The holidaymakers, who have to arrive vaccinated and supply proof of a negative test before entry to Phuket, will themselves undergo screening procedures before being allowed out onto the island. Their movements will then be monitored by an app they have to download on arrival. Those who want to travel more widely in Thailand are going to be able to do so after 14 days, see you later as they need three negative coronavirus tests.
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