Beginning from Thursday ( July 15 ), Thailand open three more islands under the Samui Plus programme for tourists.
The islands – Samui, Tao and Phangan – welcomed visitors as part of the kingdom’s push to revive its battered tourism industry.
Travellers should make sure they have covered all the necessary requirements and have all the required documentation. This includes:
A) A passport with at least 6 months validity;
B) Have been in a Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) approved country for 21 days or more;
C) Been fully vaccinated with a vaccine approved by Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) or the World Health Organisation (WHO);
D) Have booked and purchased return air travel;
E) Have booked and paid for accommodation, and required RT-PCR test/s at a Samui Extra Plus or SHA Plus hotel;
F) Have purchased medical insurance with COVID-19 treatment coverage of at least US$100,000;
F) Have tested negative for COVID-19 no longer than 72 hours before travel.
Children under 18 are not required to be vaccinated if travelling with fully vaccinated parents or guardians but must have tested negative for COVID-19 no longer than 72 hours before travel.
Thailand launched its “sandbox” scheme on Jul 1, allowing vaccinated travellers to visit Phuket Island. Tourists do not have to quarantine in a hotel but cannot leave Phuket for two weeks.
Tourism Association of Koh Samui president Ratchaporn Poolsawadee described Thursday’s start of the “Samui Plus” scheme as a soft opening.
He said 75 per cent of residents on the three islands were vaccinated.
“It is expected that arrivals will improve after tourists learn the rules and regulations. And then some rules and regulations could be tweaked,” Ratchaporn added.
Tourism makes up one-fifth of Thailand’s national income and the economy is suffering its worst performance since the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
Ratchaporn said tourism was worth US$918 million to Samui before the pandemic but the virus had cut turnover to US$88 million last year.
