Thailand’s tourist sandbox expands to cover more destinations
An announcement on the government website on Monday says that foreigners arriving in Thailand via the Phuket Sandbox scheme can travel between Phuket and certain destinations in Surat Thani, Krabi and Phang Nga.
The destinations covered in this project include:
• Koh Samui, Koh Pha-ngan and Koh Tao in Surat Thani,
• Koh Phi Phi, Koh Ngai and Railay Beach in Krabi,
• Khao Lak, Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai in Phang Nga.
Under the Phuket Sandbox, fully inoculated foreigners who test negative for Covid-19 can arrive in Phuket and move around freely for 14 days. If all their subsequent Covid-19 tests come out negative, they can travel to other provinces in Thailand.
From July 1, when the project kicked off, until August 14, Phuket has welcomed 20,727 tourists, 57 of whom tested positive for Covid-19 and seven have recovered.
Official figures show that Phuket earned 829 million baht in revenue in July alone.
Meanwhile, most of the 29,700 foreigners who have cancelled their trip say they find the mandatory 14-day stay in Phuket too long and too expensive.
