Thailand opens up to vaccinated British holidaymakers

Phuket is the country’s first tourism guinea pig

After strict border restrictions for the last year, Thailand is tentatively opening up to tourists again.

From 1 July, it is unrolling a programme for safe tourism, with the island of Phuket the only destination initially open to holidaymakers.

Travellers will be permitted entry only if they are fully vaccinated and are arriving from a country classified as “low” or “medium” risk.

The list of approved countries includes the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most of Europe.

Adult visitors from these destinations can roam Phuket, quarantine-free, provided they can show proof of two vaccinations, a negative Covid-19 test taken no more than 72 hours before departure, and proof of an insurance policy that covers treatment costing at least $100,000 should they catch coronavirus.

Once on the island, travellers must follow regulations around social distancing and mask wearing requirements.

Tourists must also take further Covid tests throughout their stay, at a cost of around $300 in total.

However, provided they’ve tested negative, once they’ve been on Phuket for 14 days foreign tourists are then allowed to explore the rest of Thailand.

Nightclubs and bars remain closed on Phuket, but restaurants and other facilities are open for tourists to enjoy.

Although there were some concerns about opening up to visitors after a recent surge in coronavirus cases in mainland Thailand, Phuket’s infection rate remains low, and 70 per cent of its adult population are fully vaccinated.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has said it expects to welcome around 129,000 foreign tourists between July and September.

If Phuket’s pilot programme is successful, eight other tourist destinations in Thailand will reopen to international visitors in a similar manner over the next few months: Krabi, Phang-nga, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Bangkok, Buriram, Cha-am and Hua Hin.

“There will be a ‘standard of practice’ for each of these places, but there will be some variations depending on their geography,” TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn told CNN.

“Above all we have to prioritise the safety and health of the public to prevent further outbreaks.”

Thailand is currently on the UK’s amber list, meaning returning travellers must self-isolate for 10 days and take two PCR tests.