Following a meeting with the Public Health Ministry, the
Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn confirmed that Phuket, Krabi, Chiang
Mai, Chon Buri (Pattaya), and Surat Thani (Koh Samui and Koh Pha-ngan) have
been chosen to pilot the scheme.
Foreign tourists opting for area quarantine will be required
to remain in their hotel rooms for the first 3 days of their stay. They will be
tested for Covid-19 and, if negative after 3 days, will be allowed to leave
their room and roam freely around the resort for the remainder of their 14-day
quarantine. At the end of the 14-day period, they will once again be tested for
the virus and, if negative, allowed to travel around the quarantine area.
In order to avail of the scheme, tourists will still need to
fulfil the other requirements for travel, including obtaining a Certificate of
Entry, a negative Covid-19 test 72 hours prior to travel, and adequate health
insurance. Nation Thailand reports that the area quarantine plan will be run by
29 travel agencies, under TAT supervision.
The area quarantine scheme comes as the TAT hails the
success of the first “golf quarantine” scheme, which operates in a similar
manner. Travellers from countries considered “low-risk” for Covid-19 can come
to Thailand for a golf holiday at approved golf resorts in the Kingdom.
Conditions are similar to those attached to area quarantine, with the golfers
having to spend the first 3 days in their room, test negative for the virus,
and then enjoy free rein of the resort, with a few rounds of golf thrown in.
Thailand’s economy has been decimated by the fallout from
the pandemic, in particular the loss of international tourism. The current
mandatory 14-day quarantine period is seen as the biggest hurdle to overcome in
order to re-ignite the sector. In 2019, international tourism contributed 2
trillion baht out of a total 3.01 trillion baht tourism trade. In the same
year, tourism made up 17% of Thailand’s GDP.