Thailand Opens Island of Phuket to Vaccinated Travelers

Like many countries, Thailand is trying to find a middle ground between opening for much-needed tourism and protecting residents.

Its solution is to open the southern resort island of Phuket to vaccinated international travelers without quarantine requirements.

The pilot program, effective July 1, is called “Phuket Sandbox.” It’s open to visitors from over 60 countries, including the U.S. and Canada, which Thailand classifies as a low or medium risk for COVID-19.

For a minimum of two weeks, they will be free to explore the island, where preparations include vaccinating 70% of the island’s population. To date, 80% of the people have already received their first vaccine dose, while more than 60% had received both doses.

There are currently over 1300 hotels, restaurants, activities, attractions, shops, and other venues and businesses across Phuket that are SHA (Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration) certified, meaning they have the required safety and hygiene measures to control COVID-19.

After the initial 14 days, visitors will be allowed to continue their journey to other Thai destinations if they wish.

Major airlines including Etihad, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways International (THAI) are flying direct to Phuket from cities like London, Frankfurt, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore.

There are several requirements that visitors must meet before and during their trip. They must obtain a Certificate of Entry (COE) from a Thai Embassy or consulate, have a negative RT-PCR test for COVID-19 within 72 hours of departure, and have a minimum $100,000 medical insurance policy covering COVID-19 treatment. Tourists must also be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before departure—with the exception of children under six years.

Travelers who plan to vacation longer than 14 days will have to stay at a hotel approved by the Ministry of Tourism or the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Otherwise, travelers will need to present a confirmed flight ticket out of Thailand and payment confirmation for accommodation and RT-PCR tests at hotels that cover their intended duration of stay.

After arriving in Phuket, tourists will have to take another RT-PCT test, followed again each six to seven days. They will also be required to download Thailand Plus and Morchana apps, to track health and location, respectively.

Travelers must undergo exit screening before departure.